Amata's Journey
by Ultimate Jedi Master
Summary: The journey of a young woman into the Capital Wasteland, and the events that would define her life. Set after Broken Steel.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout in any way, nor do I own any of the music in this story. They belong to the developers that made the game, and the artists who made the songs. I am not making any money from this. I write this because I love Fallout 3.

Prologue:

War never changes.

In the year 2277 a young man emerged from Vault 101 to face the horrors of the Capital Wasteland. A sheltered soul seeking the father who had gone before, for the greater good of mankind. This young man became known as 'The Lone Wanderer', a figure of legend, a hero that would roam the wastes leaving an impact on the world that would be felt for generations to come. From Megaton to Rivet City, to Vaults 112 and 87, Raven Rock and the Citadel, Project Purity and Adams Air Force Base; the Lone Wanderer changed the world in ways that no person before him ever had before. It was a long and expansive journey, visiting countless locations, meeting countless people, and performing countless deeds to rebuild the shattered human race. The untested youth that became a hero.

But for all the exploits of this legendary figure, what isn't as well known are the fates of those he left behind. For the Lone Wanderer was not the only soul sheltered by the walls of the Vault. There were others; a living, thriving community; hidden, contained from the harshness of the wastes. This is the story of that community, and its young leader intent on opening the great door of Vault 101 to the outside world.

* * *

_Fear..._

_Anger..._

_Hatred..._

_Desperation..._

_Rage..._

_These are the things she sees in him at this moment. Emotions barely veiled, hidden to all but her: the one who knows him best. It scares her to her very core when he acts this way, frightens her in a way she can't believe._

_This is her father! The Overseer of the Vault!_

_Sure she had seen him... upset before, but it was different then. He had always treated her coldy, distantly; he would yell at her, even hit her on occasion; but he never acted anything like this. She had always attributed it to the stress and responsibility of his position, but now? She had to wonder if he had completely snapped!_

_The last time she had seen him this upset had been that fateful day... a year ago, a year that seemed like a lifetime... the day her best friend escaped from Vault 101 and went to find his father, the day the Vault had forever changed. She could remember the terror she had felt that day, seeing her father's psychotic rage for the first time._

_Jonas... she still shudders at the memory. Hiding beneath the desk, watching in horror as her father and his guards beat him senselessly with their clubs, again and again, ignoring his screams of pain and agony. She could remember staring into his lifeless eyes for what seemed like an eternity, before she had stolen the gun and ran. Later he and his **goons** had almost done the same to her, to his own **daughter**, and probably would have if it hadn't been for him... t__he one who had started all of this... the boy who had been the first to defy her insane father, the boy that had returned as a man, the man who was now standing before her father, defying him... protecting her yet again._

_His presence overwhelms everything else in the Vault, inspiring fear in the heart of the Overseer and all of his corrupt cronies! He radiates a sense of pure strength and confidence unlike anything she had ever felt before. He had the look of a man who had been through hell, tempered himself with its fire, and emerged even stronger. She could hardly believe this... being and her old friend were even the same person. It was incredible!_

_He had changed completely from the timid, quiet young person he had once been. The kid who had thrown himself into his books, his studies with Mr. Brotch, and the science and mechanical projects with Stanley and his father._

_He's wearing a brown trench coat of some kind, with leather boots and gloves, a sawed-off shotgun at his side and an old bolt-action rifle strapped to his back. He has a rough beard on his face, with unsettler hair, eyeglasses, and all the grime and filth of the wasteland clinging to him. Certainly a sharp contrast to the clean, well groomed, jumpsuit clad youth she could remember... and yet he was still much the same... he still had a deep level of intelligence, inner strength, and courage; with a__ drive for fairness, freedom, and justice. There was no doubt that the Wasteland had changed him, but it filled her heart to know he was still in there somewhere._

_He was just standing there in front of her, not saying a word, completely unfazed by all of the guns the guards had trained on him. He was looking past them all, his eyes glaring straight through the Overseer; as if penetrating his very soul with a sense of calm, cold resolve. That calm... it was as if these guns meant nothing at all to him._

_Amata slowly crawled back, nursing the broken nose she had taken from her father's pistol whip. The room had gone completely silent upon his entrance; her father, the guards and rebels alike, every eye was fixed on this man, completely stunned by his reappearance in the Vault. He gazes down with a concerned expression and suddenly kneels down beside her. Still ignoring the guards he reaches into his coat and produces an old rag, placing it against her nose and wiping the blood away. Then he digs around in his pack, pulling out a thin bandage that he applies to her nose. He then looks at her for a moment, before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear and rising to face her father._

_"H..how did you get in here?" the Overseer demands, his voice breaking, "how did you get into this Vault!"_

_The younger man has returned to that penetrating stare. I__gnoring the question, he starts walking calmly towards the Overseer, paying no mind to the guns that were still trained on him._

_"Stop right there!" her father shouts, raising his own sidearm. It has no effect, he doesn't stop._

_"I said stop!" her friend still advances, his gaze still piercing through him, ignoring the gun aimed at his head._

_The Overseer begins to panic as the former Vault dweller walks towards him, slowly, so slowly. He cocks the 10mm pistol as the man draws closer. Everyone in the room watches in tense silence, waiting for the situation to explode, as the Lone Wanderer reaches the Overseer._

_"This is your final warning!"_

_In the blink of an eye the younger man explodes into action, grabbing the end of the pistol and forcing it up as her father fires the weapon, sending the bullet harmlessly into the ceiling. He maintains his hold on the gun and twists her father's arm, dislocating the shoulder and freeing the gun from his grasp. He quickly removes the magazine and kicks it away from the Overseer, who is yelling in pain._

_"GUARDS OPEN FIRE, KILL HIM NOW"_

_The Wanderer advances again as the guards watch in stunned silence. He lands a crushing right to the Overseer's face that sends him to the ground with a bloodied nose. The older man tries to back away in fear, holding his nose as the Wanderer moves towards him again. He reaches down and pulls him up to mid level, driving a pair of hard knee blows right into his face, before grabbing the Overseer's suit and throwing him across the room, sending him over a table and shattering the glass that was on it._

_He again moves towards her bloodied father, once again paying no mind to the dozen guards that surround him. He reaches out to grab him again but backs away quickly, dodging a slash from a broken piece of glass in her father's hand._

_"Dad stop!" she yells at him, but he's far to gone in his rage to listen to her. He moves in again, slashing wildly at her friend with the glass shard. But once again the slashes are dodged, this time with a series of hand to hand combat counters that keep the weapon from making contact. The Overseer pulls back and stabs forward with all his strength but the strike is dodged by a slight move to the left; her friend reaches out with his right arm, grabbing her father's weapon hand and pinning it to his side; then he pulls the Overseer to him and lands three straight headbutt strikes that daze the bloodied man; he then knees her father in the crotch, flooding the older man with overwhelming pain. He takes advantage of this and lands a bone crunching kick to his knee that bends his leg backwards at a sickening angle. Her father screams in extreme agony, his weight giving out from the crushing pain of his shattered leg. The Lone Wanderer holds him up though and viciously slams him face first into a nearby desk, sending the Overseer into bloody unconsciousness._

_"DADDY!" she screams, running over to her father. She holds her unconscious father upright, sobbing as she sees his mangled leg._

_The guards are completely stunned by what they have just seen, shocked and amazed that the youth they had once known was capable of doing such things. They looked at each other for a moment, then back at the Lone Wanderer, his gaze was now fixed on them as he reaches for his sawed-off shotgun. The guards immediately take off down the hall, as fast as they can to get as far away from him as possible. The rebels just watch him in amazement._

_"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?". She screams up at him as she cradles her father's head. Her friend looks down at her with part sympathy, but mostly satisfaction._

_"He'll live, which is more than that crazy bastard deserves."_

_"He is still my father, you didn't have to do this to him!"_

_"Do what to him Amata? Make him face the justice he deserves? Hold him accountable for his murderous deeds? He's getting off easy for what he did to Jonas."_

_"That doesn't make it right, that's not how we do things here!"_

_He looks at his old friend for a moment, weighing her words in his mind. He thinks back to happier times in the Vault, growing up with these people... with the father he had just lost at Project Purity. He remembered his youthful days with Amata, facing down the Tunnel Snakes, getting the BB gun from his father and Jonas on his tenth birthday, taking the GOAT... the good memories of a life that was no longer his own. A life before the wasteland, before the trials that had changed everything. He realized that there was no going back, no undoing what had been done. His time in Vault 101 had been great, easy in a sense that none of these people would ever understand. The Wasteland... fighting, killing, scavenging... that's who he was now, that was where he belonged._

_"Amata... I'm not the person you once knew and I never will be again. The Wasteland... it... it changes you, it tries your soul in ways you can't even imagine. The horrors out there... the violence, the death, the starvation... sifting through garbage for your next meal, drinking irradiated water, fighting for your life on a daily basis! You people have no concept of the hardships they face! How could you, sheltered in this Vault as you are? You have clean water down here, clean food to eat, safety from the threats of the Wasteland."_

_He pauses to consider his words, glancing over them before speaking again._

_"It's a world where your very existence is determined by the amount of bullets in your gun. That's what justice is out there! The Wasteland way would have your father's brains splattering the floor right now Amata! And you... rebels... you call yourselves... want to open the Vault? None of you know what's out there, none of you are ready, and you look to her for leadership? She has no fucking clue either!"_

_"Because out there... survival is a war in itself. And you... with all of your pistols and batons and your pitiful security force; couldn't even handle a small radroach infestation, the smallest fucking threat in the Capital Wasteland! __What will you do against Raiders? Or Super Mutants? Or the Enclave? Even the Brotherhood of Steel can't handle these threats alone, what do you think you can do coming out of your little cave? Amata I care for you, I always will, but you need to wise up or you'll get all these people killed."_

* * *

_"What's more, they are saying I should be the new Overseer. It's all so sudden."_

_"That's the way these things go. Now do the right thing for your Vault."_

_"I will, believe me. We can open up trade with nearby settlements, and see the world we've been missing. But I still have to protect our Vault, and keep the people within it safe from the dangers of the Wasteland. Even when those dangers have helped us. And that makes the rest of this even harder."_

_"You saved us. But that doesn't change the fact that you attacked one of us to do it, and I can't let that sort of thing stand here. I guess it's a bit familiar. You've already been forced out of the Vault once before. At least now you know what's out there."_

_"I'm sorry. You're a hero... and you have to leave."_

* * *

_"Overseer this isn't necessary!"_

_"Look we still don't know what's out there. We don't know what we'll be facing, we don't know where the settlements are, we don't even know if it's safe to open the Vault."_

_"You don't need to go with the survey teams. The Vault needs you, it is your responsibility now."_

_"My responsibility is to protect these people and ensure their safety. __I can't just lead them out there blindly, I have to know!"_

* * *

_"You must stop this Amata! If you open the Vault you'll kill us all!"_

_"We can't stay down here forever. This just isn't life."_

_"I won't let you undo everything I worked for as Overseer!"_

_"It's not your call anymore... father."_

* * *

_"None of you know what's out there, none of you are ready, and you look to her for leadership? She has no fucking clue either!"_

_"Amata I care for you, I always will, but you need to wise up or you'll get all these people killed."_

_"you'll get all these people killed..."_

_"killed..."_

* * *

The ear shattering screech of metal grinding against metal... an overwhelming... ominous sound. The sound of the thirteen ton door slamming shut behind her, sealing her off from the Vault she had lived in her entire life.

The dirt she was now standing on, the dust in the air, the slight breeze in the tunnel, it was all so... foreign... alien... life changing.

Amata looked down at the skeletons littering the Vault entrance, their bony fingers still grasping the signs they had carried here in their final hours. She couldn't help but wonder what their stories were, who they had been, what they had seen out there, what... desperation had driven them here. She turned her gaze to the end of the tunnel, seeing the wooden door and the bright light beaming in through the cracks in its boards. The small rigidity gate gave her a sense of freedom she had never felt before, and with it a sense of dread at the same time. A feeling that there was no going back, only... forward, into the unknown.

Was this what he had felt? Standing here as she was now? She remembered the way he had changed in both personality and appearance, the wasteland had taken a great toll on her friend, and she couldn't help but wonder if the same would happen to her. Deep down she knew that it would... that there was no going back, at least back to the way she had lived... comfortable, sheltered. This would change her life profoundly, maybe forever. She could only hope she wouldn't lose her humanity.

She turned to the others, seeing similar thoughts playing across their minds. The five man survey team was comprised of Vault Security Officers Gomez, Wilkins, Wolfe, Taylor and herself; armed with police batons and 10mm pistols. They were all clad in Vault security armor except for Amata who was wearing her usual Vault 101 jumpsuit. The Security Officers were assigned for her protection, but she didn't trust any of them. She had had way too many bad experiences to ever trust them again, and had no way of knowing if they were still loyal to her father or not. But she was the Overseer now and by right she had the command of the Vault security force. She had only allowed them to come because she didn't want to risk anyone else in the Vault, and the Officers were the only ones with any form of combat training. She wasn't going to lower her guard around them for a second though.

Amata pulled out her own sidearm and checked the clip once more, then with a final glance at the Vault she had called home, she moved forward into the darkness and pushed open the wooden gate.

* * *

**Author Notes: **

This is set after the main quest and the DLC Broken Steel. The Lone Wanderer is a level 30 good character, Amata is level 1. The fic is set about 2 months after the Wanderer returned and was banished from the Vault. Trouble on the Homefront happened before Vault 87 where the GECK was recovered.


	2. Into the Light

**Pip-Boy 3000 Interactive Menu**

**User-  
**Amata Almodovar: Level 1

**S **trength: 3**  
P **erception: 8**  
E **ndurance: 7  
**C **harisma: 5  
**I **ntelligence: 7**  
A **gility: 7  
**L **uck: 3

Skills:

**Barter:** 14  
**Big Guns:** 18  
**Energy Weapons:** 20  
**Explosives:** 20  
**Lockpick:** 35  
**Medicine:** 28  
**Melee Weapons:** 10  
**Repair:** 18  
**Science:** 18  
**Small Guns:** 33  
**Sneak: **18  
**Speech:** 29  
**Unarmed:** 18

Tagged Skills: Lockpick, Speech, Small Guns

Skill Points Added: N/A

Perks Added: N/A

**Status-**  
Health: 100%  
Crippled Limbs: N/A Rads: N/A Effects: N/A

Equipped Weapon(s): 10mm Pistol

Equipped Apparel: Vault 101 Jumpsuit

Ammo Remaining: 48 10mm Rounds

Caps: 0

**Current Location: The Capital Wasteland**

* * *

Into the Light:

Amata and the other members of the survey team quickly squinted their eyes, overcome by the all encompassing light that was flooding into them. It was painful, intensely so to their dilated pupils, adjusted to a lifetime in the dull light of Vault 101. The affect wasn't as bad for the guards, being somewhat protected by the visors they were wearing, but Amata had taken the full brunt of the scorching sunlight. She hissed in pain, trying to shield her eyes and withstand it so they could adjust.

After what seemed like hours, the brightness finally receded to an acceptable level, leaving Amata with clear vision... and the view of a devastated wasteland.

It was... unbelievable... the sun, the sky, the clouds... the earth... so unlike anything she had ever imagined. It was shocking... beyond her comprehension. The Vault-Tec propaganda films had shown the fire, the explosions, but not... this! It wasn't just a wasteland, it was a desert! The ground was dry and arid, with jagged rocks and ancient scorched trees as far as the eye could see. The heat was sweltering... so different from the fixed temperatures she was used to in the Vault.

Amata looked over to her left, seeing an old rusted sign sitting next to the edge of a cliff, marked with the words 'scenic overlook'. She walked over to it, stopped beside the edge, and looked out over what had once been the nation's capital.

The overlook point provided a clear, unimpeded view of the area for miles around; and only now could she see the full extent of the devastation. She had seen old pictures, learned about this place extensively in class, but nothing could have prepared her for the actual sight of it. The distant skyline of one of America's greatest cities was now an abstract of blown out buildings, crumbling streets and infrastructure, bridges that had collapsed, an ancient river that had dried up long ago... she recognized the Washington Monument and the old Capitol Dome, but both appeared to have sides missing from their structure.

The smaller town below her had fared worse than DC...if that was even possible... the buildings were mostly burned out; although an old water tower, gas station, and what looked like a ruined school building were still standing in the distance. The town itself was nothing but splintered, decimated homes covered with rubble, garbage and debris, the roads were heavily destroyed and lined with scorched dead vehicles. She could also see a large junk pile... or something to the southeast.

As she glanced over the landscape she realized that the word 'wasteland' didn't even do it justice. This was complete and utter desolation... just as he had said. There didn't seem to be any signs of life... just dust, debris and the remains of a once great civilization.

She didn't even register the guards joining her as she tried to come to terms with this new world. She had done it... she had actually left the Vault! But now what? This place was completely foreign to her. She had read the scouting reports from the last team and their discovery of 'Megaton', but the reports had never mentioned where it was; and that had been many years ago, so they didn't even know if it was still there or not.

"Overseer..." Amata was startled by the voice, drawn from her thoughts by Officer Gomez. She glanced over at him and looked back out over the wastes, waiting for him to continue, "Our old maps indicate these ruins are the remains of Springvale, the town that they built the Vault in. The 'Megaton' settlement that the previous survey team described should be around this area somewhere, I don't remember its exact location though."

Amata thought for a moment and then looked down at her Pip-Boy. She toggled its 'data' section and scrolled over to 'world map'. The map gave her information about the surrounding landscape, but it wasn't marked with any settlement locations. She moved over to 'notes' and glanced over the copied survey team reports, then she brought up the image files they had sent to the Vault terminals. She looked at the picture of Megaton for a moment and compared it to the junk pile she had seen to the southeast.

"I think that's it." she said, pointing to the distant junk structure. The others looked at it and agreed after comparing it to their Pip-Boy images.

"Shall we head there then ma'am?"

She was about to reply but was cut off by a sudden staticky sound coming from her Pip-Boy. She looked back down at the display, surprised to see a blinking notice that it had found radio signals nearby. Strange... she switched over to the 'radio' section and saw several stations on her menu that she didn't recognize. She selected 'Enclave Radio' first.

_"Greetings sweet America! This is Enclave Radio with your host, me, President John Henry Eden and I'd like to have a chat, if that's alright. Did you know there are those amongst us who would shatter our hopes of peace, order, and security. These radical malcontents don't care about you, they don't care about America! All they care about is fulfilling their own selfish desires. Let's take a tally of these agitators, shall we. There are of course, the raiders. Those anarchistic ruffians who roam the wastes, preying on any and all, stealing, murdering. The so called Brotherhood of Steel-SCREEEEECH-but for now, my America, we must part. Restoring the greatest country in the world to its former glory, well, huh huh, well that takes time, even for the Enclave. Until we meet again, this is your president, John Henry Eden, signing off."_

*'Yankee Doodle' begins playing over the station*

_"What will you do against Raiders? Or Super Mutants? Or the Enclave? Even the Brotherhood of Steel can't handle these threats alone, what do you think you can do coming out of your little cave?"_

The Enclave... these must be the people he had warned them about. But how could the American government be a threat? What was wrong with wanting to restore the country? It seemed like a noble goal to her... but her friend had obviously had some kind of run in with them, he wouldn't have said that otherwise. But what could they have done that would make him feel that way? More importantly what would she do if they encountered these people? Her survey team wouldn't stand a chance against trained armed soldiers, she could only hope that it wouldn't come to that. She had read her father's external contact report about his refusal to give them entry. They had offered amnesty, but if they had been willing to attack her friend then there was no telling what they would do if they gained access to the Vault. She was suddenly grateful that her father hadn't allowed them in.

And what was that part about the Brotherhood of Steel? There was obviously more to the dialogue, but it was like it had been cut off, or edited...

She pondered this for a moment and then switched to 'Galaxy News Radio' on her Pip-Boy.

_"This is THREEEEE DOGGGGG, and your listenin to G-N-R! It's news time children! One week... can you believe it has been one week now since our buddies in the Brotherhood rolled up to Adams and busted that Enclave ASS? Now reports are still sketchy, and we have gotten word of some sightings out in the wastes, but it's pretty clear they have been effectively crippled as a fighting force. First the kid blew up their main base at Raven Rock, then that giant tin can wiped them all out at Project Purity, and now their mobile crawler has been orbitally bombard-ed. So if you see any of those Enclave bastards out there, have a little pity on 'em... they're homeless! Haha! And now some music."_

*'Anything Goes' begins playing over the station*

_"Times have changed, and we've often rewound the clock, since the Puritans got a shock, when they landed on Plymouth Rock..."_

The Enclave had been destroyed? Then why was their station still broadcasting? It didn't make any sense... and who was 'the kid'? What was Project Purity? Who was this 'Brotherhood of Steel'? Her friend had mentioned them as some kind of armed force, making them sound like they protected the Wasteland. But who were they? Could they be trusted? Could the Vault trade with them perhaps? She had so many questions and so little to go on. It made her realize how in the dark she was out here, how little they really knew about this place. Maybe she could find more answers in Megaton.

_"...if today, any shock they should try to stem, 'stead of landing on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock would land on them..."_

Amata left the station on, she liked the tune, and this Three Dog person was... interesting. It lifted her spirits to find life in the Wasteland, and maybe he could give her more information on the wastes.

"Overseer? If that is our destination then we need to start moving. I don't think we should be out here after the sun goes down".

The sun... he was right. The sun would go down as the earth turned away from it, allowing the night to come in. She remembered that from her classes with Mr. Brotch. She definitely didn't want to be out here in the dark, lost, with guards she didn't trust, in a wasteland she didn't know, with god knows what prowling around the area.

_"...in olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking..."_

She nodded at Officer Gomez and set off down the hill towards Springvale, keeping her pistol at the ready.

_"... but now, God knows, anything goes..."_

* * *

**Author Note****s:**

Thank you for the reviews! I hope you enjoy the fic.


	3. Welcome to the Wasteland

**Pip-Boy 3000 Interactive Menu**

**Status-**  
Health: 100%  
Crippled Limbs: N/A Rads: N/A Effects: N/A

Equipped Weapon(s): 10mm Pistol

Equipped Apparel: Vault 101 Jumpsuit

Ammo Remaining: 48 10mm Rounds

Caps: 0

**Current Location: Springvale**

* * *

Welcome to the Wasteland:

The scouting party moved down the hill and stopped next to the destroyed road at the base of it. There was a crater in the street containing a small brown water puddle. Amata went over and crouched beside it to take a closer look. It was filthy looking, with garbage and debris floating in it, but it was the first source of water they had seen outside of the Vault. She had read in the scouting reports that surface water was undrinkable, but she wasn't sure if she believed that or not. It had been over 200 years since the bombs had fallen. Surely that was enough time for the water to recover wasn't it?

She reached out with her arm to move the Pip-Boy closer for a geiger counter reading, but quickly pulled it back when it started clicking at 1 rad per second.

Amata considered this for a moment as she absently listened to the song on the radio station. How could anything live out here if that were the case? She couldn't understand how irradiated water could support life... or the survey team for that matter... they had brought several bottles of purified water, but how would they survive once it ran out?

_"...sifting through garbage for your next meal, drinking irradiated water..."_

...He had lived this way. Had done so for over a year, but how? Vault-Tec reports indicated that post-war water would be fatal to drink, and would significantly lower life expectancy at best. The settlements must have maintained some form of water purification system, it would be the only way sustain them. That made sense... but it still didn't explain why the water was contaminated after two centuries... It was something she would have to investigate later, it was getting late in the day, 6:03 on the Pip-Boy's time reading.

She stood up and turned towards the bend in the road that led into town, motioning for the team to follow her. They stepped through several piles of old litter and garbage, careful to avoid the many cracks and holes in the ancient asphalt. After passing a couple of ruined pre-war vehicles they rounded the bend and turned right, into Springvale.

Amata and the others slowed their pace as they gazed around, taking in their surroundings. There were ruined homes on both sides of street, their wooden structures scorched from fire and faded by the sands of time; rusted mailboxes, picket fences, and unconnected phone lines were in front of them; the sidewalks were covered with piles of rubble, tin cans and garbage; and a handful of ruined cars were in the road. The desolation was just immense! It..it was a ghost town!

_"And now for an important public service announcement! Remember kids when the Raiders come there's no shame in locking your doors, barricading the windows and cowering under the nearest bed. When these psychos come to play they have one thing on their mind: making your life as fucking miserable as possible. So fight if you got the balls and the guns but don't go waving the white flag, they'll probably just strangle you with it. Thanks for listenin children! This is Three Dog **AOOOO **and your listenin' to Galaxy News Radio! We're radio free wasteland, and we're here for you."_

*'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire' begins playing over the station*

Raiders? Her friend had warned about them as well, though he hadn't gone into any detail. They sounded like some kind of gang or something... she could see how this place would drive people to that... but wasn't there any kind of law and order out here? Something to keep them in check? Three Dog made them sound like a merciless, psychotic group that would attack on sight. If there really were such people out here... it was all the more reason for them to find shelter. They had no idea where these gangs were operating, and it was starting to get darker.

_"I don't want to set the world on fire, I just want to start a flame in your heart..."_

A slight breeze kicked up a cloud of dust in her path as she walked down the street, looking over the homes as they passed. There were four of them along the road they were walking on, with a couple of others in the distance. She could see some old dressers and containers inside of the houses and she was tempted to look into them, but they continued on without stopping, wanting to reach Megaton before nightfall.

The group stepped through a pile of rubble and came up to an abandoned playground, surrounded by a worn picket fence and situated next to the road. The road turned left at this point, leading towards the ancient school building; while a gas station was across the street, with a sign next to it that said 'Megaton-' in yellow paint. She stepped up onto the sidewalk, moved past an old tricycle and walked up to a rusted fire hydrant. She was about to cross the street towards the sign, but stopped suddenly.

_"...in my heart I have but one desire, and that one is you, no other will do..."_

She had heard something... a light rustling, a very faint crunch of gravel... the others hadn't heard it, but she had heard it clearly. They looked at her with puzzled expressions, but she ignored them as she scanned the area around her searching for the source of the noise. She looked down the left road and saw nothing but swirling dust, ruins, and a bus stop; then she looked to the right, seeing the edge of a ruined house, a telephone pole and a large hill covered with jagged rocks beyond it. The gas station had a large rocket type structure, some abandoned cars, and a nuka cola machine, with a chain link fence surrounding it. The area seemed completely vacant, but she was starting to get a bad feeling about this place.

"Amata what is it?" She didn't respond, just kept looking. The sign was swaying in the wind... a piece of paper carried by the breeze... Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Still no signs of life, only the ruins of the wasteland. She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear, and looked towards the others.

_"...I've lost all ambition, for worldly acclaim, I just want to be the one you love..."_

"I guess it was nothing. Come on lets go."

Officer Gomez nodded and took the lead, he moved in front of her and stepped towards the crossing. Amata relaxed and continued on behind him. She was about to cross as well when a piercing crack rang out through the air, blowing out a large portion of his skull and covering Amata's jumpsuit with cranial matter. Time seemed to stop as she stood paralyzed in shock, then almost as if in slowmotion... Gomez crumpled to the ground. Amata looked down at her blood soaked jumpsuit, and stood still in terror as she saw bits of his brain clinging to it; then she looked down at the cracked visor and the gaping hole in the back of his head.

In an instant the area erupted with gunfire as a group of Raiders jumped out and ambushed the survey team. The security guards instantly dropped into cover behind a car; but Amata stood frozen, her gaze fixed on the destroyed head of Officer Gomez, oblivious to their shouts to get down.

_"...and with your admission, that you feel the same, I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of. Believe me..."_

Amata saw a Raider pop out from behind the end of the house to her right and aim at her. Her mind screamed at her to get down, but her body was completely unresponsive, locked in a state of shock. Suddenly Officer Taylor rushed and tackled her painfully to the ground, landing behind the playground's merry-go-round, while Officers Wilkins and Wolfe returned fire with their sidearms and crouched behind cover.

There were five Raiders in all. Three of them were under the red rocket display, hiding behind cars and the nuka machine at the gas station; another was behind the dumpster; and one more was shooting from the corner of the house to their right. They were armed with assault rifles and combat shotguns.

"Hahaha we got Vaulties here! Get em! Get em!"

The Raiders laid down a withering barrage of fire. Amata could hear the rounds bouncing off the merry-go-round as Officer Taylor pushed her head down while firing back with his 10mm. Wilkins and Wolfe continued firing from behind their car but all of their shots missed. The Raiders focused their fire on the two Officers, suppressing their return fire and forcing them to take potshots. Taylor used the distraction to empty his 10mm clip on the Raider positions, but their cover protected them, and it only drew their attention back to the merry-go-round. A moment later, a well aimed shotgun blast obliterated Taylor's head, leaving his headless body to fall next to Amata.

_"...I don't want to set the world on fire, I just want to start a flame in your heart..."_

Amata was covered in blood now, her eyes frozen on the sight of the headless body lying next to her, still too stunned to shoot back at the Raiders. Wilkins and Wolfe were though, they hadn't managed to hit any, but their cover was good enough to protect them from the barrage of bullets. Suddenly the Raider behind the house popped out again, this time he threw a frag grenade over the car that bounced and rolled to their feet, a second later it exploded, sending the two Officers flying into the air and ripping the limbs from their dead bodies.

Then the gunfire ceased, and the Raiders came out, moving towards the dead Security Officers.

"Oh man that was so awesome!"

"Yeah! Vaulties are so easy, I only wish there were more of em to kill."

"We'll eat good tonight hahaha!"

Amata cowered in fear, hoping the Raiders would think she was dead. She was too terrified to fight back.

_"...I don't want to set the world on fire honey, I love you too much. I just want to start a great big flame down in your heart..."_

Three of the Raiders went over to check the corpses of Gomez, Wilkins and Wolfe; but two of them were heading towards Amata. One of them, a female, reached out to take her gun, but Amata quickly jerked away by instinct.

"Hey boss, look what we got over here! It's a live one!"

"A girl too, Oh hell yeah!"

Immediately the five Raiders surrounded her, four men, one woman. They were dressed in various types of Raider armor. Their leader was a huge man, wearing a psycho-tic helmet.

_"...you see, way down inside of me, darlin I have only one desire, and that one desire is you, and I know no body else aint gonna do..."_

The female Raider reached out to grab her, but Amata kicked her and wiggled away. Being faced with her immediate death had drawn her from her stupor.

"Ow! Stupid bitch!"

Amata drew her sidearm and pointed it at the Raiders with a trembling arm. "Stay back or I'll shoot!"

"Hahaha little girl thinks she can scare us."

"This must be her first time out of the Vault!"

The Raiders continued advancing towards her, ignoring her gun completely.

"I SAID TO STAY BACK!"

The leader suddenly reached out and knocked the gun out of her hand. Then he slammed his forearm into her face, knocking Amata back and bloodying her nose.

"Stupid little bitch. What are you gonna do now!"

Amata desperately tried to crawl away, but the Raiders were advancing too quickly, and there were too many of them. She wouldn't be able to escape.

"Time to die Vaultie!".

The lead Raider raised his gun...

_"...I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim, I just want to be the one you love..."_

...and his head exploded, sending brain and skull matter flying onto the other Raiders.

"WHAT THE FU-" BAM! His head exploded as well, showering the ground with skull fragments.

The other three began to fire randomly with their assault rifles, frantically looking for their target... only to have another shot blow through the head of another Raider.

_"...and with your admission, that you feel the same, I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of. Believe me..."_

Their assailant had revealed himself. A grime covered man dressed in a brown duster, carrying a bolt-action rifle. He was out in the open, not even trying to take cover, just calmly walking down the street towards them. He quickly ejected the spent shell and pushed another in with the bolt, then raised it and squeezed the trigger, scoring another head shot that erupted into a bloody mess.

The final Raider opened up with her assault weapon, but the man just stood there calmly reloading his rifle, even fixing a jam in the bolt without even breaking eye contact. She began to back away in terror, but it was far too late. The man raised his gun and fired true, blasting a hole straight through the woman's head.

_"...I don't want to set the world on fire..._

Amata watched as the man looked over his handy work and loaded his rifle again. He began walking towards her, but she couldn't see his face due to the glare the sun was casting on him.

"Welcome to the Wasteland... Amata."

_"...I just want to start a flame in your heart!"_


	4. Reunion

**Pip-Boy 3000 Interactive Menu**

**LEVEL UP**

**User-****  
**Amata Almodovar: Level 2

Skills:

**Barter:** 14  
**Big Guns:** 18  
**Energy Weapons:** 20  
**Explosives:** 27  
**Lockpick:** 40  
**Medicine:** 28  
**Melee Weapons:** 10  
**Repair:** 18  
**Science:** 18  
**Small Guns:** 43  
**Sneak:** 23  
**Speech:** 29  
**Unarmed:** 18

Skill Points Added: +10 Small Guns, +7 Explosives

Perks Added:Thief (+5 Lockpick, +5 Sneak)

**Status-**  
Health: 99%  
Crippled Limbs: N/A Rads: 2 Effects: N/A

Equipped Weapon(s): 10mm Pistol

Equipped Apparel: Vault 101 Jumpsuit

Ammo Remaining: 48 10mm Rounds

Caps: 0

**Current Location: Springvale**

* * *

Reunion:

It was..it was him! She couldn't believe it. He had come! He had stopped the Raiders, and saved her life... again.

"Jack." she whispered his name in a quiet voice.

He looked her over briefly, seeing the blood stains on her. He knew from experience that it wasn't her own, there were no bullet tears in her clothing, and she would already be dead if she had been hit there. But that didn't mean she wasn't hurt.

"Amata?"

He looked into her eyes, seeing the shock that she was in from everything that had just happened. He lightly slapped her cheek, trying to bring her out of it.

"Are you alright? Are you injured?"

She looked over at the dead Raiders, their lifeless bodies laying twisted and strewn around the slide and merry-go-round. Blood and pieces of brain matter were everywhere, it was a sight that made her stomach queasy, and filled her with stunned disbelief... He hadn't just stopped them... he had decimated them, blown them away, killed them with surgical precision... Five shots, five dead Raiders... after everything her team had fired at them. She was awed by what she had just witnessed, even though she was horrified by the killing around her, and her own near death experience.

"I..I'm fine," she shook her head, coming out of her daze, "I'll be alright."

He handed her a bottle of aqua pura. "Here, drink this."

Amata drank it down quickly, relieving her dry throat.

"Can you move?"

"I would have died.."

"Amata..."

"You saved me. You saved my life."

"Don't worry about it."

"H..how did you do that?"

"Practice makes perfect as they say, and I have a lot of practice." He shrugged, placed his gun on his shoulder and extended a hand. Amata grasped it and let him pull her up, then she hugged him tightly.

"You're always there for me, aren't you... thank you so much."

"I said not to worry about it. You're still my friend, despite everything, and I'll always be there for you if I can."

Amata smiled and stepped back to gaze into his eyes. He looked the same as he had the last time she had seen him; unsettled hair, dirty face, rough beard, glasses. But now he appeared more... aged, hardened... content? since the last time she had seen him. It was as if he had gone through some life changing experience, not from leaving the Vault, but from some moment or event that had happened after. For all his strength and confidence he had seemed torn.. conflicted, when he had returned to the Vault; it was as if he had been shaken by some deep loss. But now he looked as though he had made peace with who he was.

Amata blinked as he suddenly moved away from her and knelt beside the dead Raiders to search their bodies, not even remotely fazed by the pools of blood and gore flowing from them. He removed their guns and ammunition; then began digging around in their pockets where he found some needles, inhalers and bottle caps, and put them in his shoulder bag. Then he removed their armor, boots, gloves, even their clothes, leaving them in their underwear and stuffing it all in his bag. He did this to all of them, until he had taken everything there was to take. She just stood there and watched, stunned by what she was seeing.

Then he moved over to the dead corpse of Officer Gomez and removed the mans helmet. Amata nearly threw up as she saw the gaping hole in the back of his head, while he ignored it and surveyed the cracked helmet with a critical eye. He shrugged and stuffed it into his carry bag; then began removing the armor, weapons, food rations, water bottles and stimpaks. He went over each of the Vault security officers, patting them down and taking their belongings. When he began stripping their jumpsuits she had had enough.

"What are you _doing_?"

"Uh... what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Desecrating the dead?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Wow... it's called 'looting', and I suggest you do it as well."

"Don't you have any decency or respect?"

"Not really. It's better to take all this stuff than leave it for the next bastard that comes by. It's all valuable to someone, and it gets you caps."

"What are caps?"

"Damn... you must have just crawled out. Hard to believe I was that way too once. Caps, that is to say nuka cola bottle caps, are the traded currency out here. Merchants, caravans, scavengers, none of it's free. Caps keep you fed, clothed and armed."

That was useful information. The Vault had quite the collection of nuka bottles, it would be a good start to establishing trade.

"You really don't feel any remorse stealing from the dead? Where's your compassion? You would never put greed before dignity."

He shrugged, "Well, times change. It's not like they need this stuff anymore anyway."

She looked away from him, disturbed by her friend's attitude.

"Amata, the number one rule of the wastes... you keep what you kill. It's one of the first things you learn out here. You find that lacking compassion? Well you're probably right, but there isn't much compassion out here and survival takes precedence. Maybe their deaths would have meant something to me before, but not now, I've seen too much of it."

She looked back over at her friend, once again reminded of the changes that had taken place in him. He seemed so tired.. so worn down by this place. And she wondered what ordeal he had gone through that had made him that way.

"Shouldn't we at least bury their bodies?"

"No, leave them. The molerats will eat well tonight, makes them less likely to attack you tomorrow."

"That's disgusting!"

"Amata, I have work to do and I don't have time to stay for some meaningless ceremony."

"They are citizens of the Vault! We grew up with them! We can't just leave them here!"

"Fine, you stay and bury them if you want. But I'm not going to stick around and wait for the Raiders to show up again."

"There's more of them?" She asked in fear.

"Yeah, they're all over the Wasteland, like vermin. No matter how many times you kill them, they always come back. They'll return, and you don't want to be here when they do. Raider killers are usually sliced up and eaten alive."

Amata glared at him, revolted by the thought. "That isn't funny."

"I'm not kidding. They would have cannibalized you. You're lucky I got here in time."

An icy cold feeling crept over her body, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. God, what the hell had she gotten herself into?

"How did you know I was being attacked?"

"I didn't."

"Then why are you here?"

"I came for the Raiders. They've been giving Megaton some problems lately, hitting caravans and travellers. They like to base themselves in the old school building down that way. I'm heading over there to clear them out."

"You're going there alone?"

"Yeah, I always go alone... well except for Dogmeat, and the occasional hired gun."

"Why travel alone... wait what is Dogmeat?"

"I've never really been a 'group' kind of guy. Know what I mean? As for Dogmeat..."

He put his fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle.

Amata listened and heard a... barking sound? It grew closer, when suddenly an animal burst out of the rubble and began running towards them.

"What is that?"

"You serious? It's a dog. It's Dogmeat."

Amata raised her eyebrow as it came up to him and barked cheerfully.

"What kind of name is Dogmeat?"

"I don't know, it just kinda fit."

She reached out and patted its head, watching as the creature sniffed her hand and moved closer, accepting her presence.

"He travels with you?"

"Yeah. He keeps me company, and he's not bad in a fight either."

"Where did you find him?"

"A place up north called Scrapyard. He was being attacked by some Raiders with clubs. I stepped in to help him, and he's been with me ever since. We've been together a long time."

Amata had never seen a dog before, she had read about them, but there were no animals in the Vault. He seemed like a nice, loving creature, that was strongly loyal to her friend.

Jack looked down at his Pip-Boy, seeing the time and the darkening sky.

"Look, I need to get going. You're welcome to stay and do what you want with the bodies. But the Raiders need to be removed before they attack anyone else."

He patted the side of his leg as he started down the road towards the school, the dog instantly left Amata to join him.

She watched his retreating back for a moment, then she looked down at the carnage surrounding her, and back at him again. She chewed her lip in thought for a moment, and ran after him.

"Wait! What about me?"

He glanced back over his shoulder as he kept walking. "What about you?"

"I don't know where anything is out here, and it's getting dark."

"Just head over to Megaton, it's back that way in case you missed the sign. Tell Stockholm I sent you."

"Why don't I.. go with you?" He stopped completely and turned around.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. My survey team is dead, I don't have a place to stay, and you are the only person I know out here."

"Amata, I am going into a Raider stronghold, which means heavy fighting. I'm talking twenty or more of them atleast! Not the five you and your team couldn't handle."

She swallowed nervously, remembering how easily the Raiders had killed them. But she didn't want her friend to have to face them alone...sure he could obviously handle himself well... and she would probably just hold him back.. but she felt compelled to return the favor after what he had done for her.

"Are you certain you want to do this?"

"Yes, I.. I can help you!"

He looked into her eyes, seeing the emotions that were playing across them. She was clearly nervous and afraid, deeply disturbed by the thought of violence. But there was something else... determination... resolve... and a sense of courage, hidden beneath the fear.

He considered it for a moment, then tossed her a combat shotgun and some ammo boxes for it.

"You'd better keep up. I won't wait for you in there."

She nodded, and Jack and Amata set off down the road for the Raider school building.

* * *

**Author Notes:**

And so my Lone Wanderer has a name! I thought about keeping him nameless so you could insert your own, but I needed something to call him. "Her friend" was getting a bit repetitive there, and the Kill Bill *bleep* is just...no.


	5. Education

**Pip-Boy 3000 Interactive Menu**

**Status-**  
Health: 99%  
Crippled Limbs: N/A Rads: 2 Effects: N/A

Equipped Weapon(s): Combat Shotgun, 10mm Pistol

Equipped Apparel: Vault 101 Jumpsuit

Ammo Remaining: 36 Shotgun Shells, 48 10mm Rounds

Caps: 0

**Current Location: Springvale**

* * *

Education:

_"Today's weather: excessively violent with a chance of dismemberment! Tune in later for our five day forecast!"_

*'Way Back Home' begins playing over the station*

Amata looked down at the shotgun, awkwardly placing the stock against her shoulder as the next song came on. She tested the weight of the weapon, lifting it and glancing down the ironsights. She wasn't used to wielding a rifle, having only carried the Vault issued 10mm pistols. It felt awkward and clumsy in her hands, but she had seen what it was capable of doing when the Raiders had attacked them, what it had done to Officer Taylor... she shook her head, trying to clear the horrifying image from her mind.

_"The roads are the dustiest, the winds are the gustiest..."_

"That thing fires semi-automatic, scattershot rounds from a 12 shell drum fed magazine. Reloading is quite simple, just pull out the drum, insert the new one and pull the charging handle there by your hand. Shotguns are devastating at close range, but they aren't effective against distant targets, so keep that mind when firing."

Amata looked over each part, listening closely as they passed an old bus stop.

_"...the gates are the rustiest, the pies are the crustiest..."_

"When we're in there we'll mostly be fighting at close quarters, so be sure to check your corners when firing. Many of the rooms have multiple entrances and exits connected by hallways, so be mindful of flanking tactics, you don't want someone popping out as soon as your back is turned. Doors and staircases make ideal ambush points, so approach them with caution and don't just rush in. We will take our time, thoroughly sweeping the place until all of them have been eliminated. Just do as I say, and we'll make it through alright."

"You've been in there before?"

"Yes, many times. I stumbled in there exploring in my first few days out, went back later to get some music sheets for an old lady," She looked at him questioningly "...don't ask, and I've made a few cleaning runs for Megaton. These Raiders harm trade. They make caravans hire more security, and the cost gets passed on to settlements, the vendors, and eventually to me. It's bad for business."

"That's why you're doing this? Business?"

___"...the songs the lustiest, the friends the trustiest. Way... back home...back home..."_

"Partly. But it's mostly because they're psychotic bastards that pose a threat to anything they come in contact with." He glanced at his surroundings for a moment, watching for nearby enemies as the school building came into view.

It was in complete ruin, just like every other building she had seen out here, but this one was still standing even though it was heavily damaged. It looked like it had been a three or four story building once; but the top floors had been entirely blown away, leaving the building roofless and exposed to the elements. There were piles of rubble all around it, with several ancient trees, and a red sign marked with the school's name.

As soon as he saw the school, Jack moved off the cracked asphalt and took cover behind a nearby tree, signaling for Dogmeat to stay. Amata quickly followed, watching as he searched for any Raiders outside of the building.

_"...the trees are the sappiest, the days are the nappiest..."_

"Is this their main base?"

"No, they have several others scattered around the Wasteland. Their largest is Evergreen Mills to the west, but they also use the Super-Duper Mart to the east, Fairfax Ruins which is to the southwest, and a handful of SatCom arrays and power stations to the north. You'll also find them in subways and sewers, around bridges and diners, and in fortified outposts. I've cleared most of these locations before, but they keep returning like a damn plague."

"Do you see any down there?"

"Yes, there's a sentry walking around the far end of the school, ground level. Probably a couple more around the corner." Amata looked and saw the Raider he had mentioned, patrolling outside of the school entrance.

_"...the dogs are the yappiest, the kids are the scrappiest..."_

"What now?"

"We've got the drop on them, but I need to get a bit closer to have a good shot. It's starting to get dark, so lets use that to our advantage. Follow me, stay down and move quietly."

Amata nodded and followed him out from behind the tree. They worked their way closer to the Raider, using the desert brush for concealment, and moving carefully so they wouldn't be heard. They stepped into a ruined house across the street from the old school building, then quietly moved through the rubble to a partially collapsed wall that gave them a good view point. She raised her weapon and swallowed nervously as she watched the Raider from behind some wooden planks. He was facing their general area, but wasn't aware of their presence yet. Amata could feel her racing heartbeat as the Raider began moving in their direction, coming closer to them.

_"...the jokes the snappiest, the folks the happiest, way... back home..."_

Jack glanced over at her, seeing her fear. He placed his hand on her arm, reassuring her for a moment, then turned his attention back to the Raider sentry. She watched as he turned away from them and continued his patrol, then her friend raised his bolt-action rifle and squeezed the trigger, blowing his head off with a well-placed shot.

"Looks like we got company boys!"

Jack quickly chambered another round as two more Raiders ran out and began firing with assault rifles. Amata ducked her head to avoid the rounds, but Jack kept his poise, took aim, and fired a shot through the Raider's throat; taking him down, gurgling and choking in his own blood. Then he reset the bolt and fired through the chest of the other one, making the Raider scream in pain and fire into the air before collapsing. Three more Raiders dead.

_"...Don't know why I left the homestead, I really must confess..."_

Amata blinked, amazed by the display. He made it look so... effortless. She had always known he was a capable fighter, his surviving the wastes alone had shown that. But she hadn't known he was anything like this. The Raiders carried more powerful weapons, they attacked in numbers, and yet her friend just destroyed them with ease. How had he become so...lethal?

Jack watched for a moment, waiting for more to reveal themselves, when they didn't he motioned for Amata and ran down to the entrance. She followed him, still in a state of awe as she looked down at the dead Raiders.

_"... I'm a weary exile, singing my song of loneliness..."_

"How do you... kill so easily?"

"I already told you, practice."

"No, I mean how do you bring yourself to do it? I..I just froze when they came. I didn't know what to do."

"You've never killed before. It's a typical reaction for someone who hasn't faced that kind of situation, particularly without combat training."

"What do you mean?"

"You are used to the safety and comfort of the Vault, protected and sheltered from the harsh realities of the Wasteland. Now you've come into a world that is completely foreign to you; a savage, hostile place where you can be killed by anything. You just don't know how to deal with it yet, and so you hesitate. That reluctance to kill is the first thing you'll have to shed out here."

"How?"

"It's just something you'll have to get used to. In the Wasteland it's either kill or be killed, there is no alternative. You need to understand that there isn't going to be a peaceful solution to every problem. That there are people out here, psychopaths, who delight in the pain and suffering of others. They can't be bargained with, they can't be reasoned with, they are animals that exist solely to rape, pillage and murder. If you aren't willing to defend yourself against these people then you're already dead."

_"...the grass is the springiest, the bees are the stingiest..."_

Amata considered his words as she moved towards the entrance, knowing that he was speaking the truth. She had never killed anyone before, and just wasn't ready to do so. She had always been a peaceful person, trying to use reason and negotiation to avoid violence. But where had that gotten her? Words hadn't stopped Butch and his gang from tormenting her when they were growing up, they hadn't stopped her friend from shooting his way out of the Vault, or her father from going mad with power, and now her entire survey team was dead!

She paused, remembering her helplessness against the Raiders. They had ruthlessly attacked and killed her team... and she had done nothing to stop it. Those people were her responsibility, and she didn't even shoot back at their attackers! What kind of leader was she?

_"...the birds are the wingiest, the bells are the ringiest... the hearts?... the hearts the singiest..."_

As she pondered these thoughts, Jack approached the door to the building, ready to enter the Raider base.

"I..I don't know if I can do this."

"You'll do fine, just remember what I said. There's no shame in killing Raiders. You'll be helping the people of the Wasteland, and protecting others who leave the Vault."

_"... the arms?...the arms the clingiest..."_

He was right, she had to do this. Protecting the Vault was her duty as Overseer, and these Raiders would wipe out everyone in it if given the chance. But could she really just kill them?

Amata watched as her friend raised his gun, opened the door and cautiously stepped inside with Dogmeat trailing behind. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and followed him in.

_"...way... back home..."_

...and nearly screamed at the sight that met her eyes. There was a giant cage in the center of the lobby, filled with rotting corpses stripped to the bone; the walls were lined with dismembered bodies, nailed to them like some kind of... wall decoration; other bodies were hanging from the ceiling by meat hooks and chains; almost every part of the floor was covered with blood splatter, body parts, and entrails. It was the most horrifying thing she had ever seen.

_"...what about the sun?... the sun's the blaziest... and the fields?...field's the daisiest... and the cows?... cows the graziest..."_

Jack seemed completely unfazed by this as he scanned the room for any Raiders, but Amata couldn't take it... the atrocious sight, the unbelievable cruelty, the rotting stench of death and decay, it made her sick to the very core of her being. She grabbed the wall, struggling to stay upright as the room began to spin around her, filling her vision with a dizzying, sickening collage of blood and mutilated remains. It took all of her will power and self control to keep from retching the contents of her stomach. She closed her eyes, trying to force her sickness down, and willing the horrific images from her mind.

After a few seconds she opened her eyes again, utterly shocked by what she was seeing. How... how could anyone could do this to another person? What kind of monstrous being would be capable of such a thing? It was senseless, barbaric cruelty.

_"...and the help?... the help's the laziest... the boys... are the wittiest... the girls... are the prettiest..."_

Her weapon began shaking in her hands as she replayed the memories of the Raiders slaughtering her survey team. As she looked at the hanging dismembered bodies, it occurred to her that that could be her right now. Tied up, mutilated beyond recognition, skin stripped away... it removed any reservations she had been feeling earlier, any sense of compassion for these people...these filthy animals.

_"...way... back home..."_

"Amata!" Jack whispered.

It took her a moment to acknowledge him.

"Take the left hallway, I'll take the right. Work your way to the staircase at the end of it. I'll meet you there."

She frantically shook her head at the idea but he had already disappeared through the door with Dogmeat, leaving her alone.

_"...the pigs are the snootiest... the owls are the hootiest..."_

Amata sighed and glanced down at her combat shotgun, feeling comforted by its presence. She struggled to regain her composure, desperately trying to block out the horrors around her. She steeled herself and moved past the cage, approaching the door to the other hallway. She swallowed in fear as she noticed a thick trail of blood on the floor leading under it. She breathed in deeply to prepare herself and gently nudged the door open with the end of her gun, carefully peeking out as she did.

_"...the plants the fruitiest, stars the shootiest... t__he grins the funniest... the smiles the sunniest..."_

The hallway was still, quiet, and empty save for some pre-war desks and chalk boards that had been placed in it. The floor was covered in trash and paper, and the walls were painted with some kind of red and green graffiti. There were a set of double doors at the end of it, an adjoining hall in front of them, and a small room that was located directly across from her. She could see the trail of blood leading into it.

_"...way.. back home..."_

Amata raised her shotgun and stepped into the hallway, slowly moving towards the room as quietly as possible. She was so focused on the door that she accidentally stepped on a crumpled piece of paper.

"Hey baby is that you?"

Amata froze at the voice, her body tensing in fear.

_"... Don't know why I left the homestead, I really must confess..."_

"Come on in, don't keep daddy waitin!"

What was she going to do?

"Baby?"

_"... I'm a weary exile, singing my song of loneliness..."_

Amata suddenly heard footsteps coming from the room. She trained her gun on the doorway with trembling hands, fighting panic as the sound grew closer. She could feel the sweat trickling down her forehead, hear her pounding heartbeat. She nearly screamed when a Raider appeared in the doorway and saw her.

"You little shit!"

He quickly pulled out a switchblade and charged at her.

_"...the food is the spreadiest, the wine is the headiest..."_

Amata acted by sheer instict, squeezing the trigger of her combat shotgun and firing a shell into him at point blank range. The blast blew the Raider apart, sending blood and gore fragments exploding outwards, and blowing what remained of him back into the room he had come from.

Then everything stopped for her. She just stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, unconcerned with her surroundings, only seeing the obliterated body of her attacker.

She had just killed a person... in cold blood. Something she had never thought she was capable of doing. She had taken the life of another human being, without thought, without hesitation... it went against everything she had ever been taught, against the principles she had based her life on. She had always strived for peace in all things, and now here she was staring at a lifeless corpse that was dead by her own hand... and feeling... emptiness inside... no regret, no remorse, no pity...

It didn't make sense. She had just killed for the first time, she was supposed to feel... something... anything. But she didn't, she felt absolutely nothing at all.

_"...the pals are the readiest, the gals are the steadiest..."_

No. She had felt something... something faint, but very distinct... a change. She wiped her forehead with her hand and gazed at the blood that had covered her. It was a sight that had horrified her earlier when it had been the Vault guards, but now...

She smiled. She was covered in another mans blood, and she was actually smiling about it.

Then it clicked. Revenge... power... freedom. In that instant she had changed in a way she couldn't fully understand. She had gone from being a peace minded Vault dweller to... something...something else. Something powerful, liberating...

Amata suddenly felt a warning in her mind and she jumped into the doorway, narrowly escaping a shotgun blast that blew the door off its frame.

"You'll die for that bitch!"

_"...the love the liveliest, the life the loveliest..."_

Two more Raiders were attacking her. A pair of women this time, pumping shotgun shells into her position. Yet she was unfazed by this, completely unconcerned, even as she inhaled the crumbling dust their shots blew out of the wall. She leaned out of the doorway and fired back with her own shotgun, blowing the leg off of one of the Raiders and making her collapse in agony. Then she dodged another blast and fired on the other, landing a shot that blew her head off and sent it rolling along the floor.

Normally she would have been frightened and appalled by such violence, but now that she was the one doing it, it fueled her. She felt strengthened by it, rejuvenated... killing these monstrous creatures. They were murderers, cannibals, sadistic retched beings that deserved death for their crimes. Each one that fell made her feel stronger in her convictions, providing a sense of justice for all the people they had harmed.

_"...way back..."_

Their bloody body parts were strewn around her, lying amongst the trash in the hall. But she took pride, strength in it, like an adrenaline rush that had burned away her fear and amplified her senses. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and it left her with a burning desire to inflict more harm on them.

_"...way back..."_

She smiled again and walked over to the legless Raider, watching as she struggled in a pool of her own blood. The Raider looked up at her as she approached, whimpering as the young woman raised her weapon. She paused, smirked, and executed her with a final shotgun blast.

_"...way back... home..."_

Amata stood over the body and took a moment to savor her triumph as the sound of gunshots broke out in the other hallway. No doubt her old friend making his presence known to them. She shook her head in amusement and reached down to collect ammo from the newly deceased Raiders. She pocketed their shotgun drums and continued down the hallway, wiping off her jumpsuit in disgust.

_"...no place like home... sweet home..."_


	6. Higher Learning

**Pip-Boy 3000 Interactive Menu**

**Status-**  
Health: 99%  
Crippled Limbs: N/A Rads: 2 Effects: N/A

Equipped Weapon(s): Combat Shotgun, 10mm Pistol

Equipped Apparel: Vault 101 Jumpsuit

Ammo Remaining: 60 Shotgun Shells, 48 10mm Rounds

Caps: 0

**Current Location: Springvale Elementary School**

* * *

Higher Learning:

_"Cause one dog ain't enough, and two is too low, it's me, Three Dog! And now for a super important public service announcement! Don't feed the Yao Guai! That is all."_

*'Rhythm for You' begins playing over the station*

Amata made her way down the hall towards the fighting ahead, moving with a new sense of poise and confidence instilled by her success against the Raiders. Her mind was racing with anticipation, a sudden eagerness to meet them in battle, fueled by the adrenaline that was coursing through her veins.

That first kill had triggered something in her... an epiphany. Gone were any thoughts of fear or doubt... of mercy, remorse or pity for those who deserved none. She had eliminated these feelings; replaced them with a commitment to truth and justice... a desire to help others, protect the innocent, and stand up for the oppressed and downtrodden. It had brought purpose... clarity to what she was doing. She felt like an entirely new person, able to take on anything the Wasteland... or these Raiders could throw at her.

She came up to the edge of another hall to her right and peeked inside, hearing the sound of gunfire coming from down at the other end. It was a small intersecting corridor, connecting the parallel running hallways that she and Jack were now in. Rows of lockers were lining both sides, with a couple of trashcans and a small bathroom nearby. The shots were coming from beyond her view, further down the hall where her friend was at. It was an intense exchange of gunfire, with at least two full-auto assault rifles going all out against the bolt-action hunting rifle that she had grown so used to hearing. They traded fire for several long moments, guns blazing in the distant hallway; before she heard the sound of collapsing bodies, followed by savage growling and dying screams that were silenced by canines ripping through flesh.

The gunfire quieted for a moment, until a pair of knife-wielding Raiders went running by, charging down the hall towards the unseen fighting. This was followed by two quick rifle shots that pierced their bodies and put them both down, writhing and screaming in bloody agony. Then another Raider stepped into view behind them and opened up with an assault rifle, spraying bullets at her friend's position. They traded fire as Amata watched from a distance, looking for a clear shot to take with her own weapon. She aimed at him, but was startled as Dogmeat suddenly ran into view and lunged, forcing the man to jump back to avoid his snapping jaws. The Raider was about to move away when another rifle shot cracked his head open, splattering the wall like a coat of dripping red paint.

Amata stared at the carnage for a moment—a sight that had become frighteningly normal to her—before moving across the corridor to check out the small bathroom. She didn't think she'd find anything inside, but she needed to be thorough and scavenge where she could. Her short time in the Wasteland had already shown her that much...

She stepped inside with her weapon ready... only to find it empty... with a hideously repugnant odor hanging in the air.

She quickly turned away, coughing and gagging, her nose and throat burning from the putrefying smell. She tried to block it out but the stench was too pervasive, flooding her senses and momentarily forcing her to back away. She covered her nose with the sleeve of her arm and looked around the place in pure revulsion.

It was a direct contrast to the clean, pristine bathrooms she had grown so accustomed to in the Vault. The sinks and stalls were encased with two centuries worth of rust and grime build-up; the toilets had long since overflowed, covering the floor with rancid trails of waste and excrement; and a dirty mattress was lying on the floor next to the urinals, covered with cannibalized body parts that were rotting in the heat. It was a vile breeding ground of filth and disease, completely unsanitary, and absolutely disgusting.

How could they live this way? How could anyone be so depraved? She shook her head in disbelief as she stepped past the sinks and stalls, searching for anything of value, while struggling to keep down her latest meal.

There didn't seem to be that much in here, but she did notice a pink cherry bomb and a string of surgical tubing lying on top of an old hand dryer, with an issue of 'Guns and Bullets' magazine sitting on a small table beside it. She picked it up and read the cover in curiosity.

'A magazine devoted to the practical use of firearms, and the occasional biased review.'

Interesting... this would definitely come in handy. She would need to know more about guns and firearms if she was to survive in the Wasteland, let alone lead the Vault's citizens into it. She pocketed the items and was about to leave the bathroom, when a glimpse of green suddenly caught her eye. She looked over at the mattress and bent down to take a closer look.

Frag grenades! Three of them to be exact, just lying there... buried between a mutilated leg and torso. Great... Amata disgustingly moved the parts out of the way and picked up the grenades, then wiped them off and gave them a once over. She could make great use of these! She knew how they worked from old pre-war films, and she had always been rather interested in explosives and such. She hooked them to her belt and turned to exit the restroom.

Only to find a Raider with a lead pipe blocking her path!

"I'm going to bash your fuckin' skull in!"

She lifted her shotgun to fire, but another shot blew through his head before she could pull the trigger, once again dousing her with blood.

She wiped her face and sighed, "I'm really getting sick of this."

"It's a good look for you Amata, it gives you the whole 'psychotic-vault-girl-on-a-destructive-rampage' vibe."

She rolled her eyes at him and smiled as blood dripped from her hair, "You're such a romantic..."

He smiled back at her and opened his mouth to respond, when another Raider suddenly appeared to his right with a small submachine gun. Jack was holding his rifle over his left shoulder, not able to draw it in time, but he quickly grabbed his sawed-off shotgun with his other hand and fired into the Raider's chest, killing him with a devastating buckshot round at close range. Then he blew the smoke away and replaced the spent shell, while Dogmeat looked at the dead Raider and whined in disappointment.

"Don't worry boy, there will be plenty more for you." He put his shotgun back in its holster, then leaned down and rubbed his head before turning back to Amata. "Come on, the staircase is right through there. They know we're here now, so watch yourself."

She nodded and followed him back into the trash strewn main hallway and to the double doors at the end of it. Jack came up to them and gazed through their broken glass, then gently pushed the doors open and stepped through into the next hall, with a tensed Dogmeat at his side. Amata followed them in, her finger tightening around the trigger in apprehension as he began to quietly growl. She watched as her friend glimpsed down the hall to her right, then did the same for the other direction, making sure it was clear before they entered. Amata moved up and looked into it as well, vaguely wondering if there was any part of the building that wasn't thoroughly trashed. There were several rows of lockers and an open doorway to their right; with a classroom to her left, another blood drenched cage sitting next to it, and what must have been the staircase to the upper level.

She was about to step into the hall, when her friend suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. She looked at him in surprise but he didn't say anything, he just stood still and listened for a moment, then he grabbed an old tin can off the floor and tossed it down the hall, watching as it clattered and rolled down the hallway.

She was about to ask what he was doing when a shotgun blast hit the corner she was standing behind, kicking up a cloud of dust in her face.

"Ah this is gonna be fun!"

A Raider came charging out of the doorway to her right, dressed in painspike armor and firing a combat shotgun. Amata quickly raised her own but Jack beat her to it, firing with his bolt-action rifle and breaking his skull open with perfect marksmanship; then he loaded the next round into the chamber, just as another Raider appeared in the hall with a revolver. She again took aim, but he beat her to it once more, nailing the Raider with a shot straight through the chest that sent his body crashing through a stacked pile of desks against the wall. Then Jack opened the chamber, ejected the spent casing, and reached into his pocket for more to reload it.

It was at this moment that another Raider revealed herself, a woman this time, armed with a shotgun and attacking from the old classroom to her left. The Raider took aim at Jack while he was still reloading his rifle, but Dogmeat lunged and bit down hard on her leg before she could fire, growling and shaking his head, his teeth tearing through flesh and reaching bone.

"Ahhh!" the Raider screamed, before slamming the butt of her weapon down into the dog, dazing him and knocking him off her leg. She then aimed her shotgun at him, but Amata quickly reacted and fired her own, hitting the woman in the thigh with a glancing shot. The Raider yelled in pain and limped back into the classroom, narrowly making it in as Amata blasted the doorway behind her.

"Damn it!" Amata yelled and chased after her. She quickly crossed the hall to the classroom entrance as Jack checked on his companion. She moved towards the door, but the Raider fired out the doorway as she was about to enter, forcing her to pull back. Amata scowled and stuck her gun around the corner, returning fire with several blind shots into the room; then she leaned in and looked inside, trying to find their attacker. The classroom was full of old school desks, with papers and school books littering the floor, and a chalkboard and teacher's desk sitting against the back wall. She saw a trail of blood on the floor leading to that desk, and pulled back again just as the Raider fired another shot from behind it.

"Die bitch!"

Amata leaned against the wall, as the Raider taunted her and continued blasting away at the door frame. She couldn't get in there or fire an accurate shot as long that shotgun was trained on the door, she would be gunned down the moment she tried to enter. So what could she do?

Wait a minute...

Having an idea, she reached down to her belt and pulled out one of the grenades she had found. She looked it over and smiled as she held it... yes this would work perfectly... she pulled the pin out and tossed it into the room, watching as it bounced over the desk and landed at the woman's side. The Raider looked down at it before she realized what it was.

"Oh sh-" BOOM! It exploded right next to her, blasting her with shrapnel, blowing her legs off, and sending her headless body flying across the room.

Amata gazed at the mutilated body for a few seconds after, rather surprised by the extent of the damage. The blast had overturned several nearby desks, blown a crater into the floor, and decorated the room with gore and body parts. The Raider's severed head rolled across the floor like a bowling ball and came to a stop at Amata's feet, her deathly expression frozen in the typical Raider glare.

"Now that's what I call an explosive ending!" She glanced over her shoulder at her friend, startled, having forgotten he was there in the moment. He chuckled a bit as he looked over the exploded remains of the Raider. "I was going to help out, but you seem to have things well in hand. I'm impressed."

"Thanks," she blushed. "It was nothing really."

"Nothing? You faced a life or death situation and reacted without a moment's thought. You overcame your hesitation!"

"I guess I did." She smiled.

"What was it like, the first time?"

"Well... it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," she shrugged. "It wasn't that bad at all actually."

"Really?" he asked in surprise, "didn't you feel anything?"

She looked back at the blood soaked remains and the streaks of crimson dripping down the walls as she pondered his question, taking in the grisly scene with a sense of... pride and achievement. It was certainly a far cry from the person she had thought she was.

"It's strange... I thought... I thought I would feel remorse or regret or something, but I didn't! It felt... righteous... justified, like I was doing what I was meant to do. I don't regret it at all, I'm glad I killed them," she looked to see his reaction. "You think I'm crazy don't you?"

"Not at all. I know exactly what you mean..." he trailed off, remembering past events, flashes from hundreds of battles and engagements through the myriad of his travels. Raiders, Slavers, Talon, the Enclave; all bent on painting the world in their darkness; all falling before him and the might of justice. He recalled his feelings and emotions from those battles, his first kill...

Jack remembered it for a moment, then he shook his head and returned to their present-day surroundings. "We can talk about this later. It isn't safe here."

"Okay, so where to next?"

He smiled at her. "Well, there are two more levels we need to clear before we leave: upstairs and down. I think we can cover more ground if we each take a floor and split up. So which one do you want?"

Amata thought for a moment. "Which one has more Raiders?"

"Upper level usually."

"Then up it is." She grinned wickedly.

"You're ruthless!" He laughed. "Alright, let's get this done. I'll meet you outside when it's over. Good luck."

She nodded and watched as Jack and Dogmeat disappeared down the staircase to the lower level of the school building. Amata paused for a minute, barely listening as the jazzy tune came to an end on her Pip-Boy.

She was on her own now... and yet she wasn't afraid as she had been before. She felt no fear or uncertainty, no doubts or hesitation; just faith and confidence in her abilities. Something inside of her—her humanity perhaps—was demanding justice for the crimes she had witnessed, and she was powerless to stop it. She didn't want to stop it. These Raiders were an abomination... an evil that had to be erased, and she wasn't going to stop until she had killed every last one of them in here. Her conscience would accept no less.

She smiled at the thought and loaded a new drum into her shotgun, then stepped through the door and came to the base of the stairs.

_"And now for something we all need every now and then, it's 'Jolly Days' by Gerhard Trede..."_

*'Jolly Days' begins playing over the station*

Amata climbed the staircase step by step, ascending slowly and cautiously while keeping her shotgun trained upwards. She reached the top of the stairs and moved over to the entrance, pausing to listen for any footsteps or voices she might hear inside. After making sure it was clear, she stepped through the door and into the next hallway.

It was a small, dimly lit corridor that was collapsed and blocked with rubble at the far end. The floor was covered with broken tiles, papers and soda bottles; the walls were chipped, faded, and decorated with the same graffiti patterns she had seen earlier; and the ceiling was cracked, allowing small beams of sunlight to shine through into the destroyed building. There were three sets of doors across from her: a pair to her left that appeared to lead to the same room; and a set of broken double doors to her right, leading into another small corridor. Looking back and forth between them, she decided to check the next hall first to see if there were any other rooms up here. She made sure the coast was clear, then lowered her weapon and snuck across the hall, quickly moving around the corner before any Raiders could take notice.

She was back at the front entrance of the school... or at least above it. There was a small, handrailed balcony to her right that was overlooking the foyer where she and Jack had entered the building... along with the butchered bodies that were still hanging from the ceiling inside. Amata quickly turned away from the gruesome sight and looked around at the hall she was in. There was another row of lockers against the wall, but no rooms, no Raiders, and it too was blocked off with rubble and debris. It was a dead end.

She turned to make her way back, but suddenly heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway behind her. She moved to the corner and glanced around the edge, where she noticed a mohawk-wearing Raider standing in the doorway at the far end. She quickly raised her gun and took aim, but stopped when she realized he was talking with someone else in the room.

"Hey, can you spare some jet? I'm all out."

"No, you've already had your cut of the last batch." a female voice replied.

"But I can't function worth shit without the stuff!"

"Well that's just too bad isn't it? Cause you sure as hell aren't getting any of mine."

"Oh come on baby, don't be that way. I'm coming down and I need my fix!"

"For the last time, no! Now get your ass back over there and guard your post!"

"What's the rush? You heard all the shooting down there, they gotta be dead by now."

"This is the Lone Wanderer we're talking about!"

Who? Amata thought in confusion.

"Again with this Wanderer shit. Just bring him on, we'll gun him down like all the rest."

"You idiot, this is the fucker that hit our last crew! He's a Knight in the Brotherhood of Steel, and he's killed more of us than all those damn tinheads combined! He wiped out the Enclave for god's sake!"

"I still don't see what the big deal is. He's just a kid."

"You won't be saying that when he gets here. Now shut the fuck up and get over to that door!"

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going. Sheesh what a bitch..."

The Enclave... the Brotherhood ... she remembered what Three Dog had said about them and the war they had fought out here. This 'Lone Wanderer' must be the 'kid' he had spoken of earlier... interesting... she would have to ask Jack about this later.

Amata began to move back towards the hallway, but was startled by the sudden sound of footsteps behind her—coming in her direction this time! She stole a glance around the corner, just as the Raider passed by and went through the staircase door she had just come from.

Great, just great! She had hoped he would go into the room with the others so she could catch them off guard and eliminate them together, but now with this guy behind her she would be attacked from both sides the moment the shooting started...

Unless she could take him out first...

She looked into the hall again and saw that it was empty now, which meant the female Raider he had spoken to was still in that room and not watching it. It gave her a chance to get to the one in the staircase. But then what? They would be on her the moment she fired her weapon, and she wouldn't have any cover in that narrow stairway. She needed to take him out quietly, without alerting the others to her presence. The only problem was she didn't have a knife or any kind of silenced weapon... unless... she looked down at her shotgun with a thoughtful gaze, then shrugged before moving back into the corridor.

_"Stay tuned to GNR for all your latest music and news updates! We're here twenty-four seven... fightin' the Good Fight... wherever it is."_

*'Let's Go Sunning' begins playing over the station*

Amata crept back towards the stairway noiselessly, mindful of the Raiders that were in the rooms behind her. She tensely watched the doorways in the hall as she passed, knowing that one of them could pop out and see her at any moment. After several anxious seconds, she reached the staircase door and stopped outside to listen.

_"Let's go sunnin', it's so good for you..."_

She could hear him in there... whistling some inane tune at the top of the staircase. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then stepped through the doorway.

_"...let's go sunnin', beneath the sky of blue..."_

The Raider was just a few feet away now, his back turned to her as he stood guard above the stairs. Amata slowly moved towards him in a crouched position, stepping softly so she could take him by surprise. She came up behind him and stopped inches away, waiting for the right moment to strike. She watched as he reached into his pocket for a cigarette and Amata saw her chance. She drew her weapon back and lunged forward, but at the last moment she stepped on a piece of paper and crackled it beneath her feet. She looked down in surprise, then looked up again just as the Raider backhanded her and sent her careening to the floor.

_"...greet the sun every morn..."_

Amata clutched at her nose and tried to grab her shotgun, but the Raider was too fast. He rushed over, knocked it out of her hands and sent it sliding out of her reach; then he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall. She struggled against him, clawing at his face and trying to pry his hands off her throat; but he was too strong, unfazed as he tightened his grip and began to strangle her. She gasped in pain as the air was forced from her lungs; but he only squeezed tighter, denying her the air that she needed.

_"...feel as free and happy as the day you were born..."_

She started punching and hitting him in desperation, but the strength of her blows had diminished without normal oxygen and blood flow, and they did nothing to stop him. She continued fighting back, trying everything she knew to free herself, but nothing worked and her efforts only expended more energy. She coughed and twitched in his grasp, her lungs burning in protest as dizziness started to set in. Her resistance gradually weakened until she slumped against the wall, her strength nearly drained by the Raider's chokehold. She looked into his eyes as her world began to darken; seeing the array of emotions in them... the excitement... the lust... the rage... and above all: the pure, psychotic evil.

_"...let's go native..."_

Amata raised her knee and caught him in the groin, landing a sharp blow that made him grunt in severe pain. He continued choking her, but it loosened his fingers slightly and gave her the distraction that she needed. She reached down and grabbed the knife that was on his belt, then shoved it into his throat with all of her strength.

_"...sun your cares away, be creative..."_

The Raider released his grip on her in sudden shock, dropping her to the floor and grabbing at the knife in his jugular. Amata massaged her own throat, coughing and wheezing as she drew deep breaths of air into her lungs. She looked up at the Raider for a moment, then crawled over to her shotgun and picked it up by the barrel. Holding it in a two-handed grip, she swung it like a bat and cracked it across his face with vicious force. The Raider reeled backwards and fell over the stairs, tumbling head over heel and busting his head on the way down, before landing on his neck and snapping it with a loud crack.

_"...learn to live and play..."_

She stood at the top of the staircase, breathing heavily in the aftermath of the violent deed. His blood had splattered the walls around her, the steps he had fallen down, and the front of her jumpsuit, but she didn't even notice; her gaze fixed on the Raider's lifeless form, lying in a broken heap at the base of the stairs. His neck was twisted and blood was flowing from his throat like a river. It was a scene of sheer brutality... and she savored it with a harsh smile of vengeance.

_"...pretty flowers need the sun..."_

Amata took a moment to catch her breath, then reached down and picked up her shotgun off the floor. She was about to place the stock against her shoulder again when she noticed the blood that had smeared it. She used part of her jumpsuit to wipe it off, then turned away and went back towards the hall to continue her task.

_"...this applies to everyone..."_

It was still empty... no deranged jeers, no psychotic war cries, no gun toting Raiders waiting to kill her. They hadn't heard the struggle... which meant they still didn't know she was up here. She looked down the hall and began to plot her next move.

_"...life's worth livin'..."_

There were only two doors remaining that she hadn't checked yet: the one to her left that she had seen the Raiders in, and the one in front of her, both of which seemed to lead to the same room; a computer room, with some rusted terminals inside that were destroyed well beyond repair. The ends of both hallways were blocked and unpassable, which left these two doorways as the only path forward. After thinking for a moment, she moved across the hall to the door in front of her and went to look inside.

_"...when nature's givin'..."_

There were three Raiders ahead, all of them women... no more than ten feet away from her, and with their backs turned in conversation. They were standing next to a collapsed wall opening that led into an old library. She could see some bookshelves in there... with even more Raiders walking around inside.

_"...happiness to everyone, so let's go sunnin'..."_

She needed to get in there, but these three were blocking the only way in. She could just kill them with her shotgun, of course... but that would take time, which would give them a chance to return fire, while allowing the others to attack as well. She needed to eliminate all three at once so she could instantly turn and focus on the next group. But how? She thought about it for a moment, before remembering the grenades on her belt.

How indeed...

Amata snuck into the room as they talked, carefully stepping around pieces of trash and rubble and hoping she wouldn't give herself away this time.

"Do you really trust that junkie to guard the staircase?"

"Hell no, the Wanderer will drop him the moment he sees him, probably already has. I was getting tired of that guy anyway."

"Yeah, but what'll we do when he comes for us?"

"Don't you worry about that. The boss has a surprise waiting for him in there, dragged it in off that caravan the other day."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"Haha, you'll see... I promise you he's not making it out of here this time."

_"...Let's go native, sun your cares away..."_

Amata reached down to her belt for a grenade, but stopped when they jarred against each other. She froze at the sudden sound, watching as the Raiders continued talking in front of her. She sighed after a few seconds and carefully unclasped the grenade. She was about to pull the pin and throw it, but suddenly had a better idea...

_"...be creative, learn to live and play..."_

She came up quietly behind the unsuspecting trio, and chose her target—a Raider with dyed green hair and painspike armor—then she removed the pin from the grenade, placed it down her waistband, and dove behind a filing cabinet.

_"...pretty flowers need the sun..."_

"Huh?" the Raider looked down, patting her pants to find the offending object. The grenade exploded a second later, blasting all three of the Raiders simultaneously. It ripped their limbs off and sent their lifeless bodies flying in a blaze of gore and shrapnel.

_"...this applies to everyone..."_

"What the fuck man?" another Raider ran in from the library to investigate. Amata quickly popped out with her shotgun and blew his skull apart, covering the bookcase behind him with a sticky cranial paste.

"God fucking damn! Kill that bitch!"

_"...life's worth livin', when nature's givin'..." _

Two more Raiders turned and started firing from further back in the library. She quickly ducked her head as bullets started bouncing off the filing cabinet, using its solid steel surface to shield herself from harm. The Raiders were shooting from behind a computer desk and bookcase, and taking cover between shots. She waited for them to stop to reload before returning fire, squeezing off several rounds towards the bookcase that missed and broke fragments off the edge. The two Raiders loaded fresh magazines into their rifles and continued their attack; taking wild, inaccurate potshots and hoping to kill her through sheer volume of fire. She kept her head down and was about to release another salvo, when a third Raider suddenly appeared at the edge of the collapsed wall and came charging towards her. Amata quickly took aim at this new threat and fired before he could get a round off, killing him with a devastating shot that tore through his chest cavity and destroyed vital organs. The other two renewed their effort and sent more bullets flying into the walls around her.

_"...happiness to everyone, so let's go sunnin'..."_

Amata rose and fired again, aiming at the Raider behind the desk this time. Her first two shots hit the desk and the computer on top of it, blowing out chunks of wood and glass; but her third shot was true, sending a spray of blood exploding out from behind the desk. The other Raider yelled in frustration and fired from behind the bookcase again, forcing her to duck as he peppered the walls with 5.56 rounds. Amata waited for him to run out again, then moved out of cover and shot him in the abdomen, sending him flying backwards with a hole in his stomach. Then she advanced with her gun raised and stepped through the collapsed wall into the library.

_"...Let's go sunnin'..."_

It was a medium sized room, the floor, walls and ceiling crumbling from two hundred years of wear and decay. The wall to her right was covered with faded pre-war posters, and splashed with blood from the Raider she had killed behind the desk; there were a couple of large bookcases, with two more dead Raiders lying by them; a small utility closet to her left; and a set of double doors on the far side of the room across from her, with a pair of small, mid-level bookshelves sitting next to them.

_"...it's so good for you, let's go sunnin'..."_

She came up behind the nearest bookcase and glanced around it, carefully looking through the room with a heightened sense of awareness. She looked from one side to the other, straining to see through the thick curtain of dust that hung in the air. It was dark and quiet... so quiet that she feel her racing heartbeat, pulsing through hands and fingers tightly clenched around her weapon. She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and started to move towards the next hallway, but stopped when she sensed a sudden danger in the room. She quickly jerked her head back just as a shotgun blast hit where it had been, blowing painful splinters of wood into her face.

"We're going to rip your heart out you cunt!"

_"...beneath the sky of blue..."_

There were **five** of them! Waiting in ambush behind the bookshelves and the double doors in the hallway. They were armed with an array of shotguns and assault rifles, with one of them holding a small revolver; all of which instantly opened fire and unleashed a furious torrent of lead on her position.

_"...greet the sun every morn..."_

She took cover behind the bookcase as the Raiders pounded it with a deadly barrage of firepower, laughing and taunting her while emptying hundreds of rounds into the area. Bullets pinged off the walls, shotgun shells blew chunks out of the wood, and the deafening sound of gunfire echoed through the old school building as the Raiders fired with unrelenting ferocity.

_"...feel as free and happy as the day you were born..."_

Amata loaded another drum into her shotgun as more rounds whizzed by, then she leaned out and fired back at them, hitting one of the Raiders by the door and sending him back through it in a bloody mess. She smiled at the gory display, then fired two more rounds at the other Raider in the doorway; blowing chunks of plaster out of the wall with one shot; then catching him in the midsection and sending him to the floor in his own entrails, screaming in the throes of death.

_"...let's go native..."_

The three remaining Raiders returned fire from behind the bookshelves, blind firing so they could keep their heads down for protection. She took careful aim and shot at one of them; blasting several books off the top of the shelf; then punching through the thin wood and killing him in a barrage of shotgun pellets. The other two started to panic after seeing so many of their kind fall before her. They frantically fired shotgun and revolver rounds towards her bookcase, but their shots were badly aimed and off target. Amata waited for the rounds to go by, then stuck her gun out and hit one of them through the chest, obliterating heart and lungs, and leaving only one Raider remaining in the library.

_"...sun your cares away..."_

"Shit!" he shouted as he continued firing, then he ducked his head and turned to the doorway behind him. "BRING IT IN ALREADY!"

Bring what in? What were they talking about?

_"...be creative..."_

Suddenly she saw someone else come running into the library from the hallway beyond. It was another Raider, this time wearing a psycho-tic helmet and goggles. But this one wasn't like the others... he wasn't carrying a rifle, a pistol, or even a switchblade, he was holding some kind of long... shoulder mounted device.

_"...learn to live and play..."_

"Fire in the hole girlie!"

Fuck! Amata took off running towards the utility closet as the Raider aimed and fired his missile launcher. The projectile shot out of the tube and streaked towards her, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake. It slammed into the bookcase where she had just been, setting off a huge explosion that blew it apart and destroyed everything in the room around her. The fiery shockwave lifted her into the air and threw her across the room, sending her crashing into the closet with bone-jarring force.

_"...pretty flowers need the sun..."_

Amata lay face down in the wreckage afterwards, covered in dust, and struggling to breathe through the smoky haze of the explosion. She was dazed and disoriented, her body rocked by the heat of the blast and the impact she had just taken. She lifted her head slightly and coughed from the smoke and dust in the air, then looked around with a glazed expression on her face, trying to gather her surroundings through blurred, swimming vision.

_"...this applies to everyone..."_

There were flickers of light... shades of red and orange dancing around the walls and ceiling... clouds of smoke billowing into the room... falling debris... a dizzying spectrum of shapes and colors. She could hear faint noises in the background as well, barely distinguishable at the edges of her perception. The crackle of fire... the crumbling of rock and mortar... distant voices... laughing... shouting... all drowned beneath the ringing in her ears and the splitting pain in her head.

_"...life's worth livin'..."_

She brought a trembling hand to her forehead to alleviate the pain, only to feel... wetness? She pulled it away and glanced down at her palm, seeing that it was covered in the thick red of blood... her blood. She lay there, watching in morbid curiosity as it ran down the contours of her hand and dripped onto the floor in tiny droplets. She had never seen her own blood before... or at least this much of it. Sure she had had her share of cuts and scrapes, but this... it was running down her forehead in a steady stream, covering the left side of her face and seeping into her eyes. It was a strange feeling... unfamiliar... yet comforting in a way. It made her feel warm... lightheaded... her mind began to drift, as blackness creeped into the corners of her vision.

_"...when nature's givin'..."_

Amata blinked her eyes as drowsiness set in, fighting against the growing lethargy that threatened to claim her. She was exhausted and fatigued; her body wrought with bruises, cuts, and injuries; alight with a warm, weightless feeling that was overtaking her senses, beckoning her to unconsciousness... it was so tempting... but she knew she couldn't give in. Sleep here would mean death, no matter how pleasant it seemed. She had to stay focused... she had to move...

_"...happiness to everyone..."_

Amata slowly inhaled and exhaled, then summoned her strength and pushed herself onto her hands, instantly grimacing as a burst of agony engulfed her senses. She gripped a nearby piece of rock to brace herself as her arms began to shake, struggling to remain upright as pain coursed through her body. She clenched her eyes shut for a moment, then looked back at her legs, seeing that they were buried in debris. She reached down and tried to pull them free, but nearly cried out when a sharp jolt of pain raced up her spine, making her body give out and collapse back into the rubble.

_"...so let's go sunnin'..."_

She lay still for several moments after, her face lying in a mingled mixture of blood, sweat, and dust; unable to hold her head up as she coped with the effects of trauma and blood loss. The searing pain in her head increased in intensity until the room started spinning around her, clouding her mind with a wave of disorienting images. Her eyes began to droop as her vision faded, leaving her teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. Her abandoned shotgun was the last thing she saw as her eyelids fluttered closed.

_"...Let's go native..."_

Her shotgun! Her eyes quickly snapped open as it all came flooding back to her. The missile, the explosion... the Raiders! They were right outside, celebrating... reloading... ready to finish her off! Amata shook her head to clear away the fog, then looked over at the gun. It was only a few feet away from her, lying just outside of her reach. She could do this... she had to do this!

_"...sun your cares away..."_

Amata took several deep breaths to prepare herself, then yanked herself forward with everything she had, ripping her legs free through a grater of jagged rocks. She bit down on her lip to stifle a scream as pain tore through her body, nearly causing her to black out. She closed her eyes for a moment and waited for the pain to subside, then gritted her teeth together and began crawling through the rubble, fighting to hold onto consciousness with each agonizing step. The gravel on the floor sliced into her hands and knees as she pulled herself through it, creating cuts and lacerations that left bloody prints on the floor beneath her; but she ignored the pain and continued crawling towards the gun, each grueling inch more torturous than the last. With one last effort she reached the gun and finally pulled it into her grasp.

_"...be creative..."_

She rested against the wall with it in her arms, taking a moment to recover from her ordeal while listening to the Raiders in the other room. She could hear them in there... laughing at her... mocking her... celebrating. She scowled with resentment, absently tightening her grip on the shotgun as she strained to hear what they were saying.

"Haha, oh man, I'm starving after all that shit. That little bitch had some fight in her!" he laughed.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I can't believe she got that many though. She took out our whole fuckin' crew."

"Just means more for us then, right? Haha! Go pull her out, I'll get the ripper so we can gut her ass."

"Hold on boss... she can't be no more than twenty, and out of that vault too... I bet she's still a virgin! She must be as tight as hell!"

"Haha yeah! It would be a shame to let all that pussy go to waste. Get her out here! Let's have some fun with her before we eat."

_"...learn to live and play..."_

Amata's eyes flashed with anger as she listened to their psychotic plans, shocked and enraged by their audacity. They wanted to... _rape_ her... _cannibalize _her like a piece of_ meat_... violate her body in the worst ways imaginable... she shook her head in utter disgust, remembering the senseless attack on her survey team and the mutilated bodies she had seen hanging at the entrance. How many others had suffered this fate? How many more would have to? It reminded her of why she was here, why she was doing this...

_"...pretty flowers need the sun..."_

She reached out and began to climb to her feet, using the gun as a crutch to support her injured leg. The pain she had felt had all but disappeared now, burned away by anger and adrenaline that gave her the strength she needed to stand. She brought her shotgun to bear, just as the Raider appeared in the doorway unzipping his pants.

"Alright princess, time for some... WHAT THE FU—" BAM! Amata fired into his open crotch at point blank range, destroying his genitals and leaving a gaping hole in his manly area. The Raider looked down in horror before she fired again, blowing his head into a bloody pulp.

_"...this applies to everyone..."_

"You'll fucking die for that!" the other Raider screamed, bringing his missile launcher back to bear. Amata quickly moved back into the closet as he launched another warhead projectile, setting off a second explosion that rocked the walls and shook the very foundation of the building.

"Hahaha, that's how we do it in the Wasteland Vaultie!"

_"...life's worth livin'..."_

Amata's eyes narrowed and her face twisted into an icy expression. She reached down to her belt and grabbed her last grenade, then removed the pin and threw it into the library; watching as it bounced across the floor and rolled to a stop by the Raider's feet. He tried to dive away, but it exploded before he could escape; blowing him in half, sending the missile launcher flying from his grasp, and leaving his legless body to bleed out on the floor.

_"...when nature's givin'..."_

Amata wiped the blood from her eyes and limped back into the library, stepping over the body she had killed on her way out. The room had filled with smoke and fire, adding to the fog of war that surrounded her. Her face and jumpsuit were stained with the red of blood, the gray of dust, and the black of ash; giving her a terrifying, demon like appearance to the dying Raider.

_"...happiness to everyone..."_

She walked up to what remained of his body; watching with a cold, unforgiving glare as he gurgled in his own blood. The Raider looked up at her in dread as she approached with her gun drawn.

"And this is how we do it in the Vault asshole." She fired, painting the floor with his brains.

_"...so let's go sunnin'!"_


	7. Flashbacks

**Pip-Boy 3000 Interactive Menu**

**LEVEL UP**

**User-****  
**Amata Almodovar: Level 3

Skills:

**Barter:** 19  
**Big Guns:** 18  
**Energy Weapons:** 25  
**Explosives:** 27  
**Lockpick:** 40  
**Medicine:** 28  
**Melee Weapons:** 10  
**Repair:** 18  
**Science:** 18  
**Small Guns:** 50  
**Sneak:** 23  
**Speech:** 29  
**Unarmed:** 18

Skill Points Added: +7 Small Guns, +5 Barter, +5 Energy Weapons

Perks Added: Swift Learner (Faster Level Up)

**Status-**  
Health: 6%  
Crippled Limbs: Legs, Head, Back Rads: 2 Effects: N/A

Equipped Weapon(s): Combat Shotgun, 10mm Pistol

Equipped Apparel: Vault 101 Jumpsuit

Ammo Remaining: 24 Shotgun Shells, 48 10mm Rounds

Caps: 0

**Current Location: Springvale**

* * *

Flashbacks:

The stars... blanketing the endless night sky with their brilliance, the clouds... wisping in the gentle breeze, the moon... shining through the darkness, lightly bathing the cracked arid earth with a soft pale hue of moonlight. It was... breathtaking... a vastness beyond description. It made her feel insignificant... powerless, standing beneath the infinite scale of the universe.

She watched a shooting star streak across the sky above, marveling at its splendor while listening to the nighttime sounds of the Wasteland. The chirping of crickets... the singing of birds... a squirrel rummaging for food in the brush... distant mating calls, echoing through the chilly evening air... there was so much life here.

It was a scene of natural beauty, so out of place in such a desolate landscape... and yet so perfect. Even in a world that men had destroyed, nature lived on... despite everything.

Amata smiled in pain, wondering if anyone ever stopped to appreciate such things. The people out here were probably used to it all, but for one who had never seen the outside before it was... mesmerizing. Such a radical departure from a lifetime of confinement in the dull, lifeless halls of Vault 101.

Life in the Vault was merely _existing_, but this... this was the _world_, this was _living_.

_This_ is what she had been missing for the last 20 years. A life of freedom... fresh air... sunshine... nature. Her father had thought he was protecting them by sealing the Vault, but through his ruthlessness, paranoia, and lust for power he had become the very threat he had thought he was protecting them from. Yes, there were dangers out here, _obviously_, but isolation would never be the answer. Interaction was.

She knew this was where they belonged... out here, making a difference, using their technologies to help improve the lives of the people. By aiding them in their struggles they would be helping society as a whole, which would in turn eliminate the dangers of the outside world, and make it safer for the Vault.

Her experience with the Raiders had only strengthened her resolve, despite the deaths of her survey team and the gruesome injuries she had sustained.

Injuries...

The gash on her forehead was still bleeding down the side of her face and neck; her throat was sore and bruised from being choked; she had deep, bloody lacerations on the palms of her hands and knees; dozens of other cuts on her arms, legs and torso; and her back had taken the full brunt of the missile launcher's damage, a blast that had tossed her like a rag doll and showered her with blocks of rubble and debris. And those were just the surface wounds! Her head was killing her, and she could barely even stand due to the pain in her legs. There was no telling what other injuries she had sustained.

Amata closed her eyes for a moment, the searing pain beginning to return through the fading adrenaline. She raised her trembling arm and turned off the Pip-Boy's radio, then switched over to the 'status' screen and began to read the health display, wincing at the true extent of her injuries.

She had suffered a severe concussion from head trauma, first and second-degree burns from the explosion, tibial fractures in both of her legs, a few cracked ribs, deep shrapnel wounds, internal damage, and massive blood loss. Amata blinked and read it again, unable to believe what she was seeing. How the hell was she still alive?

She shook her head as her vision started to blur again, then reached into her back pocket and pulled out a stimpak. She fumbled the cap off and was about to inject the hypodermic needle into her arm, when she noticed that the syringe part had shattered and leaked all of the healing substance inside. She quickly threw it aside and pulled out another, but it too was broken. She frantically went through all of the stimpaks she had, but none of them had survived the blast; nor had any of her water bottles, radaway packs, or food rations.

Well... _shit._

Here she was, stuck in the middle of nowhere—at night—with major injuries, no stimpaks, no medical skills to speak of, and no knowledge of any doctors in the area.

Yeah, that was about her luck...

"Amata!" She looked up as her friend called her name and exited the school building. He quickly came over to her with Dogmeat and looked her over in alarm, seeing her tattered jumpsuit and the grisly wounds that were covering her body. He, on the other hand, was completely unscathed... he wasn't even out of breath.

"Good Lord! Are you alright? I heard the explosions! What the hell happened up there?"

Amata looked at him for a moment, then pulled her arm back and slugged him in the face... hard.

It probably wasn't a good idea to _punch_ the only person who could save her life... but damn was it satisfying.

She smiled as he staggered back, then closed her eyes and surrendered to the warm embrace of unconsciousness.

* * *

_"One more time Mrs. Almodovar. Push!"_

_"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_"Waaa! Waaa!"_

_"It's... it's a girl! A healthy little baby girl!"_

_"A girl... we have a daughter Alphonse! A daughter!"_

_"Yes we do. What shall we name her?"_

_"A... Amata... Amata Almodovar, like her father."_

_

* * *

_

_"Amata. Come on honey, say your name!"_

_"Guda!"_

_"No, no! It's Amata."_

_"Gata!"_

_"Amata."_

_"Mata?"_

_"Amata."_

_"A-MA-TA!"_

_"Well done! Now who am I?"_

_"Haha mommy!"_

_"Very good sweetheart!"_

_"Here, I want you to have this." She took out a small heart-shaped pendant and placed it around her daughter's neck._

_The child looked down at it wonder. "Wha?"_

_"It's a locket." The woman opened the heart, revealing a picture of her with her child. "See?"_

_"This is a symbol of my love for you Amata. As long as you have this, I will always be with you."_

* * *

_'You're S P E C I A L!'_

_"Goo?"_

_Amata opened the book in curiosity, laughing at the pictures she saw inside._

_'S is for Strength, and that means I am strong! I can carry more toys and swing stuff all day long!'_

_"A-ma-ta!" she pounded the page with her young fist until the number 3 appeared at the bottom, then she turned the page._

_'P is for Perception, a long funny word! It means what I tasted, smelled, saw, and heard!'_

_"Ception! Haha!" she pounded it as well, setting the display to 8 before turning the page._

_'E is for Endurance, and that's how long I can play! I'm always really healthy, and have energy all day!'_

_"Durance?" she smiled as she smacked the page, putting the number at 7._

_'C is for Charisma, it's why people think I'm great! I make my friends all laugh and smile, and never want to hate!'_

_She left this number at 5 and turned to the next one._

_'I is for Intelligence, it means I'm really smart! I use my brain for lots of stuff, like science, math and art!'_

_"A-ma-ta!" she hit the page again, putting the number all the way up to 7._

_'A is for Agility, that's how I get around! I move real fast and easy, and I never make a sound!'_

_Amata giggled at the picture of the boy balancing on a bottle with his finger. She smacked the page until it went up to 7 as well._

_'L is for Luck, and it's simple, you see! It means that good things always happen to me!"_

_"Kitty!" she hit the picture of the cat, lowering the number to 3 in the process._

* * *

_"I am sealing the Vault, and that's final. There will be no further discussion on the matter."_

_"But what about-"_

_"We have lost too many due to the folly of the previous Overseers. __I will not have the safety of this Vault compromised any longer."_

* * *

_"Surprise!"_

_"Happy Birthday!"_

_"Happy Birthday!"_

_A ten year old Amata waited for her eyes to adjust to the sudden light, then looked around at the diner in stunned surprise. It was full of balloons, party streamers, and wall decorations; with a cake and presents sitting on the bar, and a big banner that said 'Happy Birthday!' hanging from the ceiling. Her father, the grown ups, and all of her friends were present, most of them wearing red cone-shaped party hats._

_"What's all this?"_

_"Don't act so surprised Amata, it is your birthday after all! And your tenth!"_

_"You mean this is all for me? I can't believe it! Thank you daddy!"_

_"Well I can't take all the credit. It was your friend's idea after all."_

_Amata looked over at Jack, her best friend and son of the Vault's resident doctor. She smiled and was about to thank him, when her father continued speaking._

_"And as you know, down here in Vault 101, ten is regarded as the coming of age! As a mature and responsible Vault citizen you are ready to take on your first official duties for our humble community. So here you are! As Overseer I present you with your own Pip-Boy 3000."_

_Amata took the Pip-Boy in excitement, thrilled to finally have her own! She quickly slid it onto her wrist and winced slightly as the biometric seals automatically activated. She looked down at the display screen and went through the various settings; maps, inventory items, health, personal notes, schedule, and a radio feature to tune in to the local Vault broadcasts._

_"Wow this is so cool! Thanks daddy! Thank you so much!" she went over and hugged her father._

_"Don't mention it. Now go and entertain your guests. You'll be getting your work assignment tomorrow."_

_Amata frowned at that, and then saw him turn to leave._

_"Wait, you're leaving? Already? But we just got here!"_

_"I'm sorry Amata, but I'm afraid I can't stay. There are pressing matters that require my attention as Overseer."_

_"But it's my birthday!"_

_"My duty to the Vault must come first Amata! You may stay and enjoy your party though. I will see you later tonight."_

_Amata watched him leave with sadness, thrilled with the Pip-Boy he had given her, but deeply upset by his departure._

_Even on her birthday..._

_"Happy Birthday Amata!" She quickly hid her disappointment and turned to her best friend._

_"Jack! I should have known you would be the one behind this!"_

_"Haha, got you didn't we? And you said **I **was easy to fool!"_

_Amata laughed with him, remembering his own surprise party._

_"Yeah, yeah... so where's my present?"_

_"Present? You mean this fine surprise birthday party isn't enough? Why Amata, I'm offended!"_

_Amata tapped her foot impatiently and fixed him with a mock glare._

_"Alright, alright! Well... as you know it's kind of hard to find things in this place, especially stuff that a girl would like. But uh," he scratched the back of his head nervously "well, here you go." He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a small heart-shaped pendant._

_Amata gasped as she saw it, her heart instantly drawn to what he was holding._

_"H..how?"_

_"Well, I kind of asked your father for it after that crap that happened with Butch. I'm still not that great with fixing stuff, but Stanley helped me out with it. It's not much, but I know what it meant to you."_

_Amata took it from his hands as if it were fragile porcelain. She opened the clasp with trembling hands, revealing a picture of her mother... the only picture that she had ever had of her. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at it again, burning every feature into her memory._

_A while back that jerk Butch and his stupid gang had ripped it from her neck, breaking the thin chain and the glass inside. She had been devastated for weeks after it happened... but now it was perfect again... exactly as it had been before._

_Amata slipped it around her neck, deeply touched by the gesture. Then she kissed her friend on the cheek and hugged him tightly, united by their common bond._

* * *

_The party had gone off without a hitch! Jack had made sure that Butch and his gang weren't invited to ruin it, and he even stopped Andy from ruining her cake! She had gotten some great gifts as well! Susie had given her a copy of 'Tumblers Today' magazine, Christine had given her some holodisks for her new Pip-Boy, and she had gotten a stethoscope from James, some bobby pins from Jonas, a pre-war bonnet from Stanley, a sweetroll from Old Lady Palmer, and a rather... odd poem from Miss Beatrice. But the most precious gift she had received had been the locket. It was her most cherished possession..._

_'As long as you have this, I will always be with you.'_

_Her mother had died when she was little, leaving her with vague memories of a kind, caring person who was vibrant and full of life. Her father had told her that she had died from some unknown illness a few years after she was born, but he would always become angry and distant and try to change the subject when she asked for more. __The most she had ever managed to get out of him was that she had been a beautiful woman who had loved her very deeply. He wouldn't tell her anything else and neither would any of the other grown ups, afraid of making him mad she guessed..._

_It just wasn't fair! She had never gotten the chance to know her mother. Couldn't he understand that? He was always throwing himself into his work, spending all day in his office and blowing her off when she tried to talk to him. Even when he did talk it was always something about the value of hard work, the Vault, or her classes with Mr. Brotch. He couldn't even make time for her on her own birthday!_

_'My duty to the Vault must come first Amata!'_

_Argh! She pounded the door to the room where their apartments were._

_'We live in the Vault, we die in the Vault.'_

_The Vault, the Vault, the Vault! She was sick of it! _

_Sure it was her home and all... but she often found herself wondering what it would be like to go outside. To see the sun... to travel to new places... meet new people. The war had happened centuries ago, so why did they have to stay in the Vault forever? Would she really have to spend her whole life down here?_

_Amata let out a sigh of disappointment and opened the door. As curious as she was about the outside, she didn't dare voice any of these thoughts around her father. She knew it was the forbidden subject of Vault 101. He had made that abundantly clear to her._

_She walked by the operations and reception areas of the office, lost in her thoughts. She was about to go into her room for the night, but stopped when she heard muffled voices coming from her fathers. She chewed on her lip for a moment and made sure no one was watching, then crept over to his room and placed her ear against the large metal door._

_She could hear her father inside... speaking through the console that was mounted against the wall. She listened intently, trying to make out what he was saying, and who he was saying it to._

_"Have I not given enough already? How many more can you possibly need?"_

_"The others were an acceptable offering, but I'm afraid there were certain... problems that arose in the process."_

_"There are always problems, results seem to be slow in coming however."_

_"Yes, well, the work we are doing is of a very... delicate nature. Perhaps if you had a greater knowledge of biomedical engineering you would be able to understand that."_

_"How dare you insult my intelligence! I can put an end to your research right now! In fact I see no reason why I should even continue supporting this project of yours. It has bore little fruit and at a very high cost!"_

_"Please spare me your moral indignation. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement, it always has been. I make your troubles... go away, and you... you ensure I have the means to continue my work for the betterment of mankind. We both win here Overseer. The only question is how far are you willing to take this?"_

_He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Fine. How many do you want now?" he snapped._

_"At least three, preferably four. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding the appropriate specimens."_

_Research? Project? Specimens? Who was this person? And what the heck were they talking about in there? She had never heard that voice before, it sounded so... cold and calculating... laced with malice and deceit. It gave her the creeps!_

_She listened for a while longer, but their conversation grew less and less audible until she could no longer hear them. She pulled her ear away from the door and leaned against it in confusion, trying to make sense out of what she had heard._

_It sounded like her father was helping this person with some kind of experiment or something, but how? And why? Since when did her father even care about that stuff anyway? He had never been the science type. She had heard him berating James for the same thing once, so why would he suddenly care now?_

_Amata was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize they had stopped talking, nor did she hear the sound of approaching footsteps from inside. She was trying to place the voice she had heard, when suddenly the door slid open, reveling her now agitated father. She shot to her feet in surprise, cursing herself for not paying attention._

_"Amata? What are you doing out here?"_

_"I..I was just passing by..."_

_"Were you eavesdropping?"_

_"What? No! I was just.. uh..."_

_"How dare you spy on me!" Amata started backing away, startled by his outburst._

_"But dad I wasn't-"_

_Alphonse raised his hand and slapped his daughter across the face in his rage, snapping her head to the side and stinging her cheek. Amata brought a hand to her face and looked at him with teary eyes, but he wasn't done yet. He drew his hand back and and struck her again, this time with enough force to throw her off balance and send her falling to the floor. She smacked her head on the table as she fell, dazing her and blackening her eye._

_"Amata..."_

_She looked at him again for a moment, then jumped to her feet and ran into her room, locking the door behind her._

* * *

**Author Notes:**

Sorry about the delay between chapters. I've always had a bit of a problem with writers block. I'm still working hard on this though, rest assured. Your reviews encourage me, and I hope you enjoy the fic.

I've also added skills to the Pip-Boy menu upon level ups. I'm calculating these through the SPECIAL system and the math formula used in the game. I went back and added it to chapters 2 and 4 as well, and fixed a few minor spelling and capitalization errors.


End file.
